Forever Love
by melissa341
Summary: This was written immediately following 6-27-06 on General Hospital. It is focused on Alexis, Rexis, Samlexis, and some Lorenzo, Robert, etc. A lot of characters show up in this fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Forever Love

Forever Love

A/N: This begins after 6/27/06, when Sam is kidnapped by Manny Ruiz. This is a Rexis fic, involving Samlexis, Lolexis, and pretty much all of Port Charles.

Chapter One

"Carly?" Sam said in amazement.

"Yeah sweetness, you've got a little company now! There are two more on their way. The sweet, innocent nurse is following your man all around town looking for you. She might be a little more difficult to get…but don't worry, by the end of the night, all my women will be in this room for me." Manny replied, tying Carly to the chair next to Sam.

"You mean Elizabeth? Who's the fourth?" Carly asked, terrified.

"My Alexis, well, hmm… Helena's mouse."

"You're working with Helena now. My God! You are psychotic! Why would you want to take Alexis? Because she's my Mom? She set you free…please.."

"Calm down sweetness, this is my revenge for her husband, and Helena wants to see her body after I'm finished."

Sam just looked away. He was going to kill them all.

Carly looked at Sam and Sam returned the look. Manny walked out.

"There's no way out. I've tried everything. The room is sound proof. Do you even know where we are?"

"No. He knocked me out outside of Sonny's. I woke up just outside this room and he brought me in." Carly seemed defeated.

The two women just sat there…waiting.

--

"Mac…shut the hell up!! Don't you think that I know? Don't you think that this ran through my mind the second I found out it could be Manny? Go, FIND MY DAUGHTER, and get out of my house!" Alexis was losing her patience.

"Alexis, I'm sor…"

"No, Mac, listen…Kristina was kidnapped because I couldn't keep Faith out of prison. Sam was kidnapped because I didn't PUT Manny in prison. Imagine what he would have done if he was sent there? He would have escaped and murdered us all. Look….I don't…I don't.." she fell. She stopped breathing, saw black, and fell. Luckily, Detective Rodriquez was there to catch her.

"Carly is missing, Elizabeth is missing. Jason, do you notice a pattern here?" Lucky asked accusingly.

Jason just stared.

"Fine, go…find them. You better pray nothing happens to my wife."

Jason left and went to the hospital. He stepped off the seventh floor and walked straight to the room that he was in when the cops came to get him.

"Alexis?"

She looked up. She just looked up. Stared right through him. "Did you find them?" Her voice hoarse.

Ric walked in. He looked like hell…and it wasn't just because he had bruises and blood from the fallout with Sonny. He looked like his world just ended.

"No. I came back to ask you, is there anything else that Manny said to Kristina?" Jason asked.

"No Jason, she told you everything she could remember." Alexis looked tired, sickly, pale.

"You were right Alexis."

"Don't…"

"No, you never hear that and someone should tell you." Jason noticed the tears, and he knew that she was sad, but there was something else. "Alexis, I know this question is, really stupid, but, are you okay?"

Alexis looked at Ric sadly. "No Jason," she let out a cold laugh, "I'm pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Alexis, you're going to have to take it…"

"No, don't you dare say it. Not again! I'm not taking it easy. I'm getting my daughter back NO MATTER WHAT, and then I'll take it easy Monica." Alexis said stepping out of the hospital bed.

"Honey, please.." Ric didn't know how to feel. He felt the same as last year. One child kidnapped, another on the way.

Alexis just looked at Ric, "No." She simply stated as she stepped into her shoes.

"Alexis, I'm going to find her," Jason assured Alexis.

"No, I'M GOING TO FIND HER!"

"CALM DOWN ALEXIS!" Ric had to scream. She looked at him with a look that he had never seen. She was more than angry. She was fed up.

"Alexis?!" They heard Nikolas down the hall.

Alexis walked out of the room and into her nephew's arms.

"I'm here. Look at me. She's going to be fine."

"I'm pregnant Nikolas." His eyes widened. Nikolas shook his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, surprise! We'll figure that one out later…" Alexis looked back at Ric and Jason, "Let's go." demanded Alexis and started walking briskly down the hallway. The three men followed her. At the nurses station, Patrick, Robin, and Epiphany looked over to see Alexis Davis, the District Attorney, walking with an obvious purpose toward the elevator and slamming her hand on the 'down' button. She stood there, staring at the elevator door, arms crossed, waiting for it to open. The three men walked behind her not looking so confident.

"What was that about?" Patrick asked Robin.

"Manny Ruiz is about to meet his match."

"Samantha McCall. What a horrid, usual name. You're a feisty little one. Not like her." the tall blond stood towering over Sam.

"Should I call you 'Granny'?" Sam snipped. "Get out of my face. This will be the last time that you do anything to anyone ever again, so enjoy it while it lasts. You made a huge mistake Grandma, you have the wife of a cop, the ex wife and best friend to two mobsters, and the daughter of the strongest woman in this city. Who do you think is going to find us? I'm betting on the latter. Do what you want with me, just know, you won't get away."

"Oh, my dear, I've heard that so many times." Helena smiled sweetly at Sam. "I'm sure that Natasha would have said that after I slit your real grandmother throat, but she was frozen in terror. I'll bet she's at home right now…doing nothing."

Alexis looked at Skye in disbelief. "I don't care that you aren't with him anymore Skye, what is his cell phone number. Where could he be? You have to have some sort of idea. Tell me…NOW."

"Alexis, I honestly have no clue."

Alexis walked past Skye into the Quartermaine mansion. She looked around then walked into the living room. Edward was sitting with a scotch in his hand.

"Edward, Manny is responsible for Justus' death. He has my daughter, Elizabeth Spencer, and Carly. Lorenzo knew that Manny was alive. I have to talk to him. Do you have any idea…"

He looked up at her and just said, "No."

Lulu walked in the room. "Hi, um…I don't know where he is, but I know what might bring him to you. Let me call Diego. You can arrest him for something and…"

"Do it." Alexis looked at Lulu, gave a small smile and a nod, and walked out.

"I told you…counselor…I don't know." Lorenzo was sick of this. He watched the DA carefully. This was a side of her that he'd never seen. She was fierce. She was hard. He knew that she would keep him locked up until she found her daughter.

Alexis walked over to Lorenzo, sat back on the table, and leaned in to where her face was about four inches away from his. "Look at me." she demanded. He did as he was told. After what seemed like an hour of Alexis just staring into his eyes as if she were seeing what he was thinking, he looked away.

"No, I didn't tell you to look away…LOOK at me!" She was acting crazy. Lorenzo had never been this frightened of a woman before.

"Mrs. Da…"

"I didn't tell you to speak either."

He looked. She finally was done with him after a minute more. She turned and walked towards the door. "You're free to go…" she was still facing the door, "if you know what's good for you…" she turned to him, "you look for them to."

Lorenzo left the PCPD, and he started his search.

"Where's Mommy?" Kristina asked Viola, the huge bodyguard, and the policeman.

"Sweetie, she's going to find Sam." Viola responded.

"Did the blond lady take her?"

Alexis walked in to hear Kristina's last question.

"No baby, the blond lady didn't take her. Don't you worry okay, Sam's going to be just fine. Remember how I told you that Sam helped find you? She's really, really smart and really strong too. I'll bet that she finds us first! Guess what?" Alexis smiled at her beautiful little girl.

"What?" Kristina said sadly.

"Your brothers and your cousin John are going to come stay with you for a while. Mommy and Daddy Ric are going to be really busy until Sam comes home, so they are going to come stay with you for a while. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"But…what if the bad people come take all of us? They took us before…"

"That's not going to happen darlin'. We have so many brave, strong men and women here protecting the house. There is no possible way that anyone bad can get in here okay. Listen, you know I love you. I need you to be strong for your little brother, sister, and cousin okay?"

"Okay. I'm brave and strong too."

"Yes you are baby." Alexis kissed her daughter goodnight and went to join Ric, Nikolas, and Max in the living room.

"Let's go." she told them and walked out.

"Manny, I'm really hungry." complained Liz.

"Where's Alexis?" asked Sam. "Please, just tell me…does Helena have her?"

Manny just looked at them and smiled.

It had been three days. Thankfully, Manny had let them huddle together with pillows and blankets on the floor to sleep. He had only fed them twice.

Carly hardly spoke at all. It was as if she knew that no one wanted to hear her right now. She was scared. The only thing she could think of was Jax. If he had just taken her with him, none of this would have happened to her. She just knew that he was looking for her now.

--

"Jax!" Ric exclaimed when he saw Jax run from the entranceway at the PCPD.

"Give me updates."

"Nothing yet. The police have no idea. The FBI has no idea. Jason and his merry men have NO IDEA, and my wife is losing it."

"Where is she?"

"With Luke…in there." Ric pointed to the break room.

Anna just wanted to come to town to spend some time with her daughter, but she ended up spending all of her time at the police station and around town following leads on a psychopath. She knew Alexis Davis very well now and she saw a lot of herself in her. Alexis never stayed in one place for more than a few minutes. First, they searched the docks…all of them…every inch of them, then the warehouses, the hospital, even the police department and courthouse. There were crews searching all apartment buildings and houses. Nothing. It was as if these five people had vanished. There was no ransom note, no clues.

Robin and Robert walked into the police station searching for Anna. They instead found Alexis in the interrogation room alone.

"Alexis…" she didn't look up.

"Alexis, hey, hey, are you okay?" Robin asked.

Alexis looked up and fixed her eyes on Robert. She had a look of sheer terror on her face. Robert had the same.

"Robert."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Day six. The women that were huddled up in the corner of the cold room had no idea how long they had been there. Carly had given up. She cried most of the day. Silently, thanks to Sam. After the third or fourth night, Sam screamed at Carly to stop sobbing so loudly. She later apologized, but Carly did as she was told.

"Sam, why haven't they killed us yet? Why hasn't anyone found us? We can't be that far from Port Charles…I mean, I was awake when he took me and it wasn't but fifteen to thirty minutes away from the hospital."

"Liz, did you see anything?"

"No, he blindfolded me. I was leaving Jason's and he shoved me into a car."

Sam looked down discouraged. She rubbed her neck and looked up at Manny, who was sitting at a desk with a computer that they brought in.

Suddenly the door flung open and Helena barged in with another prisoner.

Liz looked horrified… "No!" She screamed.

Sonny didn't know who this person was in front of him, "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked.

"Sonny, I'm Lainey. Louise Winters. I'm a psychiatrist and you are at Shadybrooke. Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, I'm crazy right. Emily Quartermaine brought me here. Why she was with me, I have no idea. Where's Carly? Where's Jason?"

"Sonny, what year is it?"

He rubbed his face. What a stupid question, "2001." He looked at her, "What did I do to deserve to be here? Where's my lawyer?"

"Justus?" Lainey questioned sadly.

"No...my lawyer! Where's Alexis?!" Sonny replied.

She stared at him. He looked much older. Well, she was sure that she did, too. "What the hell are you doing here, Robert?" Alexis asked.

"Alexis?" that was all he could say.

"Yeah, Robert, WHAT THE HELL are you doing here?"

"He's with me Alexis. This is my father." Robin noticed the confusion on Alexis' face, "What's going on?" She looked at her father.

Alexis stood up, not taking her eyes off of him, "You're Robert Scorpio." She smiled, "Back then, you told me a different last name." She let out a long breath and walked past them. She couldn't deal with him now.

"So did you." Was all he could say. He felt so completely stupid. In the hospital during the epidemic, he remembered Ric Lansing talking about his wife Alexis, but he never thought in a million years that it could be her.

"Back then?" Robin asked dumbfounded.

Alexis was so confused…shocked…tired…angry…sad…happy. What? Happy? Why was she happy? Oh, she placed her hand on her stomach and smiled sadly.

"Hey. How ya holdin' up?"

Alexis looked up when she heard the familiar voice. "Ned!" She ran into his arms.

"Hey! Ohhh, it's okay. Hey, everything's going to be okay. Hey, look at me."

Alexis looked up at him. No tears. She hadn't cried since this started.

"I'm…I'm sorry. Hey." She simply stated.

"I just came by to see if I could lend a hand. You okay?"

Alexis just shook her head. She didn't know if she was okay. She hadn't slept in…hours? Days? Was it months now? No…just days.

Ric walked up. "Nikolas just called. Emily's missing."

Alexis looked at Ric, closed her eyes, and just shook her head.

Luke was determined to get something out of Skye, but she didn't know anything.

"I loved Justus, Luke!! I'm afraid for Elizabeth and now Emily, if I knew anything, I would TELL YOU!" she screamed.

Lorenzo walked in the living room of the Quartermaine's, "Nothing." He said. "They're gone. No one has any leads." He didn't know Elizabeth, Sam, or Emily that well, but he was worried about them all the same. He was worried about Carly. He felt helpless and guilty. He knew that it was because of his lifestyle that Manny was in town. He wanted out.

Luke just walked out. Tracy stopped him, "Not now Spankybuns."  
Tracy looked at him helplessly as he walked out.

"You have feelings for Mr. Luke." She heard Alice say as she walked past.

Tracy just continued to watch Luke walk away.

"EMILY!!" Liz screamed. She ran towards her friend.

Emily slumped to the floor. She was completely out of it. Liz caught her and drug her towards Sam and Carly.

"What did you do to her?" Sam questioned Helena while checking on Emily.

"I didn't want to hear her whine about the ride here. She'll be the first to go," She told Manny. "What about the other one? The one I WANT. Why haven't you taken her yet?"

Manny walked toward Helena and whispered, "She has at least five men around her at all times. She hasn't been alone, hasn't slept, there's no way we can get her."

Helena grabbed Manny by the throat. "LIKE HELL!!" she screamed and walked out.

Manny sat back down at the laptop and watched the surveillance at the PCPD. He watched Jason walk in and head straight toward Alexis.

"He has Sam…Liz…Carly…and now Emily." Jason looked over at Robin, who was sitting on a bench near her father and mother, "You do not leave this building without six cops and twelve of my men escorting you."

Robin looked sadly at Jason and nodded.

"Alexis…" she wasn't responding to anyone now, "Alexis?" Jason questioned. He then screamed. "YOU'RE NO GOOD TO HER LIKE THIS!!"

Alexis jerked her head up and looked at him. Tears formed, and fell.

Jason walked softly to her and wrapped his arms around her. He whispered in her hair, "Alexis, you have to sleep. You have to eat. You need your strength for when we find them. You have to go home and see Kristina and Molly. You need to reassure Michael and Morgan that their mother will be okay. Alexis?" he held her away from him and looked deep in her eyes. "I need you with me on this! You can't be going crazy on me due to lack of sleep!"

Alexis looked in Jason's eyes. She nodded. Alexis walked away. Away from everyone and everything. She just needed to walk. No one followed.

Lulu was sure that she'd seen her before, "Dillon…" she whispered. "who is that?" She pointed at the woman walking past them on the docks.

Dillon noticed her and responded. "Lulu, that's Helena Cassadine. C'mon, we have to follow. Call your Dad."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

If he hadn't known better, he could swear that he was looking at Alexis Davis sleeping on the bench in front of him on the pier where his yacht was. It was her.

"Alexis?" He whispered. Lorenzo knew that she was tired, but she didn't wake up to his voice or touch. Lorenzo softly tucked his right arm under her legs and his left one supported her back. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. She was completely unaware of anything that was going on. She had never been in such a deep sleep. He carried her to his bedroom on his yacht. Lorenzo sat down beside her in the bed and just watched her sleep for a few moments. She was so beautiful. He had always known it, and honestly, he never wanted or intended to revenge his brother's death. He just loved watching her squirm. He vowed then and there that he would stop threatening her. He would stop treating her like dirt, because he knew that she was far from it and that she deserved much better.

He walked on deck and dialed his cell phone, "Ric, it's Lorenzo Alkazar. I found Alexis passed out on the docks…no…no, Ric, don't worry, she was on a bench. It looked like she was resting or something and she just passed out from exhaustion, she had taken her shoes off…yeah…okay, well, I carried her to my yacht which wasn't far away and she's sleeping now. Actually she never woke up. Sure, you can come, but I think that she should sleep. Yeah, how about I call you when she wakes up and I'll bring her there. Pregnant?! Oookay…alright, yeah, you're welcome."

Liz was dead. Emily was dead. Carly was dead, and Sam was next. Sam screamed for Alexis. She kept saying that she was sorry. Then, she joined the others. Alexis saw it all and she couldn't help.

Alexis violently sat up in bed, drenching in a cold sweat. She screamed as she sat up. Lorenzo ran in. Alexis saw his face. That face. She screamed again, but not from her dream, "NO! You get away from me!"

"Alexis, it's Lorenzo…not Luis…Lorenzo. You're completely safe." He walked over and sat on the bed next to her.

Alexis nodded when she calmed down, "Yeah, sorry, okay, um…"she looked around. "Where am I?"

"My yacht. I found you on a bench on the docks."

Alexis suddenly felt very self-conscious and awkward, "Yeah, well, I guess I was more tired than I thought. How long was I asleep?"

"Only about an hour. You really should try to sleep some more. Ric told me that you were pregnant, so, you really need to sleep. Are you hungry?"

"Why do you care?" Alexis was getting defensive. She had no idea why he was being so nice to her.

"Because I do. Look, I will never threaten you, I will never hurt you, I will never do anything because it's pointless. I was never going to do anything. Just, relax, go back to sleep. I'll fix you something to eat if you'd like."

"No, I can't sleep. I have to get back to the police station. Ric must be wondering where I am."

"I called him. He knows you're here. He's going to call me if anything new develops, and he agreed with me that you need to sleep. You must have been awake for days, Alexis, please, for your child, for all of your children, you need to sleep."

Alexis couldn't help but break down and finally cry. All of her children. Kristina and Molly were safe at home with so many people there to protect them. Her child inside of her was safe, maybe a little hungry, but safe nonetheless. But Sam wasn't.

Lorenzo knew that he should probably call Ric, or Nikolas, or Jax, or Ned, or hell, even Luke, but he was there now, so he comforted her.

She cried for what seemed like hours. He crawled in next to her and let her cry herself to sleep in his arms. He was holding the woman who he should hate, but none of that mattered anymore. Nothing did. Just her. She needed him and he was there.

She said so many things before she fell asleep, but he didn't respond. He just listened. Some things he understood, some he didn't.

"It's my fault." "I just met her." "She doesn't know him." "He's here and she doesn't know." "He doesn't know either." "Kristina is so worried." "It's my fault." "I'm so sorry." "This hurts so much." "I need to tell Robert."

"Dad!" Lulu whispered when she saw Luke sneaking up to them, "She went in there about two hours ago. Nothing has happened since. I called Lucky and they are all on their way."

Dillon and Lulu had followed Helena to an abandoned shack outside of Port Charles. There were no windows and just one door, "Do you think they are in there Luke?"

"I dunno. We'll see. It's not like Helena to be so careless. Are you sure she didn't see you?"

"We're sure."

Suddenly, they looked beyond the thick woods to the shack and saw the swat team surround the building. They went in and came out, with one person. Helena was alone.

"Damnit!" Ric screamed when he got the news that it was just Helena.

"I want to speak to her as SOON as they bring her in here!!" He walked out and dialed Lorenzo's number, "Hey, Lorenzo, is she still sleeping? Okay, well, I think she would want to be here. We have Helena, and I think that she's somehow involved…yeah, okay, thanks again."

Ric looked at everyone who had been camped out in the break room at the P.C.P.D., "She's on her way."

Robert looked sympathetic at Ric, but he didn't quite understand. He went over to Robin, "So, Ric was married to Liz? Is that why he's so upset?"

"Well, that's part of it. Sam is his step-daughter."

"And how old is Sam?"

"I would guess twenty-five, twenty-six….why?"

Robert just looked away. "Just curious. There's your Mom."

Anna, Lucky, and everyone else came in following Mac and Helena. Mac ushered Helena straight into the interrogation room and left her alone.

Nikolas started walking to the room.

"No Nikolas, sorry, we can't let you go in there," Mac told him.

"Why?"

"She won't talk. Not to anyone."

"Well, then let me just try."

"We'll let Alexis go in first."

"Thank you Lorenzo," Alexis was sitting in Lorenzo's limousine outside of the P.C.P.D.

He looked over to her, "No problem. I meant what I said you know. I won't be any trouble for you anymore."

Alexis had to smile, but it was a sincerely genuine smile as she looked at him, "Well, when all of this is over, I'll still be the D.A., and you'll still be a mobster, so, you can't really promise that. Thank you again. I owe you one." She stepped out and walked into the P.C.P.D.

He watched her walk away and smiled. He definitely wanted to get out of the mob now. He called his men and set things in motion, but first, they were to all join the search.

"Carly, SHUT UP ALREADY!!" Screamed Liz.

Sam and Emily looked shocked at Liz. They had never heard her scream that loud before.

Carly had been huddled in a corner alone crying and whimpering for hours.

"Look Carly, I know you are scared, we all are, but JESUS! Get yourself together!"

"Emily, you okay?" Sam asked, focusing on Emily who slept too much and was groggy when awake.

"I think so. She forced pills down my throat. I threw up on her though, so that's a good thing." She smiled.

Sam smiled, "Don't worry, we're all going to be okay. Everyone is looking for us, I'm sure of it. We have very loyal men out there who love us and we all have Alexis." Sam looked at Carly who snorted.

"Alexis is…"

"Don't say it." Sam stood up and bent down next to her.

"I don't want to hear you right now. You keep giving Alexis hell and she just takes it. I know because I did the same thing, but that's all over now. She has me. When Kristina and Molly get older, she'll have them. We will defend her to anyone who hurts her. You will not, NEVER in front of me, say anything about her, to her, ANYTHING against her. I know you don't like her. That's fine. She doesn't like you. I'm sick of this. We're stuck in here together and we have to be positive and remain calm. Carly, just, please be quiet, for our sakes."

Carly stared at Sam as she walked back over to Liz and Emily.

Manny walked in, "Well, sweetness, it looks like your Mommy is going to be okay after all. Helena is out of the picture, for now. I didn't want to take her anyway. She helped me stay out of prison. Hell, I'll kill for her…but I can't just let you go. I hate Jason more than I like Alexis. That's why all of his women are here. Well, there is one missing, right?"

"Please, for the love of GOD, Manny, don't bring Robin in here!!" Carly pleaded.

Alexis was smiling on the elevator thinking about Lorenzo. Maybe in her next life…when the bell rang on the elevator letting her know that she was on the second floor, Alexis whispered to herself… "Okay Natasha…stay calm…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Everyone's eyes fell on Alexis as she entered. Everyone knew to stay away…even Ric. She wasn't in the mood to see or talk to anyone but Helena right now. All Ric wanted to do was run to her and wrap his arms around her and kiss the pain away. His wife had been through more in life than any normal person could take, and she took it in stride and survived. He had never been so proud to have her as the mother of his child…children. Ric smiled inside when he thought of the life growing in her stomach right then. Two children. That was two more than he felt he deserved.

Robert just watched her. He was Sam's father. His long, lost daughter was missing. He had seen her here and there, but he never thought, in a million years…

Alexis walked straight to Mac, "Where is she?" He just pointed and she went…opened the door, shut the door, and locked it.

"She's nothing like you Natasha. She's a strong girl. Must be from her father. Who is he by the way? I mean…"

Alexis walked toward Helena not listening to a word. She stood face to face with her and went straight for her. She pushed Helena against the wall and chocked her with her left hand. Alexis stared into Helena's eyes and finally saw fear in the woman's eyes. The fear that she saw in her mother's eyes long ago. The fear she saw in herself when she was so very young. Now it was Helena's turn to feel it.

Helena grunted and gasped for air, but Alexis didn't budge.

"I want more than anything to kill you right now. I should, you know. You deserve it. You deserve to die by my hand. You, not I, are nothing. You're life means nothing, and it never has. You are…a monster that should be buried alive. Hey…that's a good idea." Alexis tightened her grip.

"Where are they?"

Helena gasped again.

Ric, Jax, Ned, Mac, Robert, Lucky, and Jason were enjoying the show through the window. There were even a few smiles.

Robin peeked through. She knew that Helena deserved to die, but she also knew that it couldn't be right now.

"ALEXIS…" Robin yelled through the door, she started banging "Alexis, you can't do this! Come on, open up…Alexis please, you aren't like her! Please Alexis, if you kill her, we won't find them! Please!! She's not worth it!"

Alexis kept her grip on Helena and looked back to the door. "You know, I really, really like her. She's so right you know. You aren't worth it." She released her grip and walked to the other side of the table, "Have a seat."

It took Helena a while to get her composure back and she sat down in the chair opposite Alexis. She said nothing.

"Where are they?" Alexis asked once more, not expecting an answer.

"Who?"

Alexis just smiled, stood up, and walked over to Helena.

"Natasha, you won't…"

"Shut up. I know you won't talk, so I will. You will rot in prison, or you will die…right here…right now. Those are your choices. You really wouldn't want to be killed by the likes of me would you?"

"Natasha…" Helena smirked.

"You haven't even met 'Natasha' yet." Alexis walked out of the interrogation room, walked up to Jason, took his gun, and walked back, locked the door again. Everyone reacted too slowly. They were all caught up in the show, so by the time they realized that Alexis took Jason's gun, the door was locked. They didn't protest, they just watched and listened through the intercom.

"Stand up." Alexis demanded, "Robin was right. I can't kill you. But I can shoot you. Whether or not you live or not depends on your own strength. You always told me that I was a weakling. I've survived many car crashes, a fire, a virus slowly killing from the inside, premature labor, the death of my sister, the death of my mother, the death of my brother, a train wreck while giving birth, and most importantly, I survived you. Do you think you can handle a gunshot, or five?"

"You wouldn't."

"I hate violence…I do." Alexis was on a roll now. Her voice was getting louder and stronger by the second, "I'm completely against guns and well, weapons of all kinds really, but I think that I might make an exception here." She looked crazy.

Alexis asked one more time, "Where are they?"

"You wouldn't."

Alexis smiled sweetly, "Watch me." Alexis pointed the gun to Helena's knee and pulled the trigger.

Michael sat watching Morgan and Molly sleeping. Kristina walked in and sat close next to her brother. "They're gonna be okay right Michael?"

"Yeah, Kristina, don't worry. My Mom's strong."

Kristina was too young to know that that was a lie, so she believed him. Viola walked in with Leticia.

"Alright sweethearts, time for bed."

"I want my Mom. Can I call her? Please?" Kristina asked with her sweet little pouty face.

"Sonny…you have to sleep. You can't call anyone right now," Lainey calmly stated.

"Look, I need to talk to Jason, or Carly, or Alexis, or Courtney. Please."

Lainey didn't want to tell him. He didn't remember the last three years. She wasn't sure what to do, so she did nothing. She apologized again and left, promising him a visit tomorrow.

Everyone's eyes were wide and jaws dropped. She shot her. Alexis shot Helena.

Ric looked over at Nikolas. Nikolas was trying to hold back a smile.

Helena was writhing on the floor, screaming in pain.

Alexis bent down to her. "Where are they?" She asked slowly.

Helena just looked at her, "You'll never know. You're daughter will be dead before you get to her."

Another shot. In the right arm. Helena winced in pain and yelped.

"The next one will be between your eyes," Alexis said calmly, "I'm against guns Helena. I HATE violence…but for you, I'll make this exception…"

"You're going to rot in prison, Natasha"

"So be it. I'll happily accept any sentence they throw at me if it means you will be finally gone from this earth. One more chance Helena…WHERE are they??"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Hello?" Ric said answering the phone.

"Hey Daddy Ric, is Mommy there?"

"Yes baby, but…she's…kind-of in the middle of something. Look, she's going to call you back in a few minutes okay? Okay…I love you too, bye sweetie." Ric hated to be short with Kristina, but if she were older, she'd understand why he couldn't miss watching what her 'mommy' was doing right now.

Ric turned to see Alexis walking out of the interrogation room. Lucky, Detective Rodriquez, and three other police officers ran out of the P.C.P.D. The rest of the men were just staring at Alexis like she was an alien.

Helena screamed from inside, "Commissioner, I want her arrested!"

Mac walked into the doorway of the interrogation room and looked at Helena, "For what? I didn't see anything. Did anyone here see anything?"

Jason perked up, "I heard a few gunshots, but it could have been a car backfiring outside."

They all smiled.

"Call an ambulance," Mac directed.

Robin was heading towards Helena, but Mac stopped her. "Don't you dare, she'll be fine. You stay away from her, okay?"

Robin knew that it was against what she felt was the right thing to do, but she agreed and walked back over to her mother.

Jason went to Alexis, "Are you coming with us to get them?"

"Yeah…" they started walking, she looked back at Ric, "You coming?"

"Yeah…yes…of course!"

Jason drove. The address Helena gave them was a good 45 minutes away. Ric and Alexis sat in the backseat. There were cop cars in front and behind them, along with unmarked vehicles, which they assumed were Jason's men.

Ric leaned over to Alexis and whispered, "You are so amazing."

Alexis gazed over at Ric and smiled. She let out a long nervous breath that she felt she had been holding since she stepped off the elevator at the P.C.P.D.

Ric placed his hand on top of Alexis' and she squeezed it, closing her eyes, "If they aren't here…Ric…"

"They'll be here, they'll be okay."

"Manny's there." She looked at Jason, "Jason, what if…"

"We'll kill him before he knows we're there." Jason definitely had a newfound respect for Alexis. He couldn't wait to tell Sam how they found her.

"Hey," Ric said softly to Alexis, "Kristina called you."

Alexis picked up his cell phone and dialed home.

After about fifteen minutes of assuring Kristina that everything was going to be okay, listening to Kristina read one of her favorite bedtime books, and singing their nightly song to her, Kristina fell asleep.

"The phone receiver is probably still off the hook," laughed Alexis.

Ric smiled, "I'm sure Viola will get it. I can't wait to get home." Ric leaned in and kissed Alexis gently on the lips. He lingered for a moment and placed his left hand on her stomach, "No trains with this one."

She smiled, "No, I was thinking about quitting my job and locking myself in the house until he comes."

"He!? You think?"

"It'd be nice to give you a son, Mr. Lansing. We'll name him Jason." She smiled as she looked at Jason, who was listening to their entire conversation.

Ric winced…he still wasn't very fond of Jason…like hell his only son would be named after him.

"That might be a little weird for Sam…" Jason said, attempting to be funny.

"Yeah, never though of that." Alexis looked over at Ric, "Honey, I was joking. You can pick the name…Ric Jr.?"

"We'll see, we have months don't we? Unlike last year, I'll be there every second with you."

"You better." Alexis leaned in and kissed him.

"I love you so much, Alexis."

She smiled and kissed him again. "That's Natasha."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Alexis waited in the backseat of the car after much protest while Jason, Ric, and everyone else went to get the women. Suddenly, someone jumped into the drivers seat, started the car, and pulled out very fast. He, or she, was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, so Alexis couldn't make out who they were. It was also very dark. There were no city lights to light up their face.

"Who are you?! What the hell is going on?" No response …

After the agents, the policemen, and Jason's men scoped out the place and realized that Manny was nowhere to be found, they broke down the front door and retrieved the women. The only problem was, there were only three.

Emily ran to Nikolas, Liz ran to Lucky, and Carly ran to Jax.

Jason was dumbfounded and very upset. Ric was consoling him as they headed back to the car … that wasn't there.

"Where's the car? Where's ALEXIS??" Screamed Ric. He looked at Jason for answers. Jason had none.

"What the hell do we do now?" asked Jason.

Ric fell to his knees. He was having trouble breathing, "I made her stay. I made her stay Jason … oh my GOD! He has them both now!"

Jason quickly dialed Leticia's number to check on Kristina and Molly. They were both okay. He let out a long breath and bent down to Ric.

"We'll get them back. They're going to be fine," he said.

Ric just looked at him. He had no more words to say. He had to get the only thing in this world that mattered to him back. His family.

Emily was rushed immediately to the hospital. She had to have her stomach pumped because Helena and Manny kept her very, very drugged. She would be out of it for days.

Carly tried to give any information possible, but wasn't much help. She was just worried about getting home with Jax … to his apartment. Mac said that she would be taken to Alexis' first to get her boys, but she refused. "No, I'll see them tomorrow or the next day. I'm really tired. Jax, can we go?" She asked him.

"Well, I'll make sure that you're okay at my place with bodyguards and all, but…Carly…" He just looked at her like she should know what he was about to say.

"What? You 're going to leave me? WHAT is so important now?"

"Carly, calm down … Sam's still missing, and we think that Manny just took Alexis, too."

Carly looked horrified. "You…are…choosing…HER…over…me?" She screamed slowly.

Jax just looked at her as horrified as she looked at him, "I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out, then I'll take you wherever you want to go…THEN..YES…I'm going to look for Alexis. She needs me and she's MY BEST FRIEND!" This was the first time that he'd yelled at her like that. Well, he thought, this was the first time that he'd met 'this' Carly.

Liz tried to give as much information as possible. It turned out that Manny had taken Sam somewhere else when Helena disappeared. He knew that Helena might give up something. He hadn't come back and that was about a day ago. Lucky took Liz to the hospital to get checked out and to check up on Emily.

"Maybe they're together now, Ric…maybe they have each other…" Mac was trying to be supportive and positive.

"Yeah Mac, that's great…really, I mean…as long as they're TOGETHER, he won't hurt them, right. Manny doesn't care! He'll kill them both. He wants me and Jason and Sonny to suffer. Unbeknownst to him…Sonny's gone crazy and he's in a mental institution! He couldn't care less about Sam and Alexis because he doesn't remember them…"

"That's not actually correct anymore, Ric…Sonny left the institution early yesterday morning and no one knows where he is. We just told two cops to look for him, because everyone else…well, they're busy on a more pressing matter," replied Mac, "I was trying to stay positive with you. You saw Alexis earlier today with Helena…she's NOT going to let anyone hurt Sam, or herself, because she'll do anything to protect her children. Ric, she's going to be fine. Manny will probably turn them in because he needs to be hospitalized from what she's going to do to him!" There were some smiles.

Ric nodded. He knew that Alexis was strong, even before today, but he didn't want to be without her on this. He wanted to be there for her…he had to find her.

Alexis was getting scared. They were going at least eighty miles per hour on an old dirt road that thankfully, had few turns.

"Please, just tell me who you are at least. Manny? Where's Sam? Are you one of Helena's goons? I'm a Cassadine you know…" she laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, what good will that do me right…no poison around…no knives…nothing I can freeze the world with…look, where are we going? Where's my daughter?" she was trying to stay calm, but the fact that she didn't know who this person was drove her crazy. She assumed that it was Manny, but he would've said something by now.

"Fine, don't talk to me, it'll be easier to kill you if I don't know who you are!"

"Hush, Alexis!" He said … in that voice.

"Oh my God!" She couldn't breathe anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alexis fell back on the bed, wiped out, "I love you," she exclaimed, out of breath.

"I love you more…" he snuggled in next to her after making love to her for the past four hours, with a few breaks in between to help gain stamina. He ran his hand down her face and played with the end of a strand of her hair. He looked up at her, leaned in and kissed her passionately, "I mean it Alexis, I love you so much."

"You are the best you know…you put them all to shame." Alexis brought her hands up to the sides of his face and smiled. "I'm so lucky."

He smiled back. Realizing just then that he was dreaming…a four hour dream?…He asked her…"Alexis, where are you? Who took you? Baby, are you okay?"

Alexis' smile faded, "Ric, I can't…I can't tell you."

"Are you dead? Oh my God, Alexis, are you dead?" Ric's eyes were suddenly full of tears.

"No. Ric, no, I'm not."

"Come on, you have to tell me, I'll come get you," Ric pleaded.

"I'm alive, but Ric, Manny doesn't have me. I can't…look, let's just enjoy this. I can feel it, too. 'He' gave me something to help me sleep, and I'm here, and you're here, so let's just forget everything and just be together."

"Please, baby, don't do this…I'd rather wake up now, go find you, then do all of this for real."

"We can't, Ric." Alexis said sadly, sitting up on the bed.

"Why? What do you mean."

She stood up, turned around, "I can't be 'found' right now. Ric, someone took me, but I can't come back. He told me to decide. He told me it's him or my life back the way it was, but I have to do this, Ric, I have to stay with him for a while…then I'll come back, I promise. I don't know when, but…baby, you know I'll be back, I wouldn't leave Kristina and Molly and…"

"Sam? Yeah, Sam? Who by the way is still missing!"

"Ric, she's with me. The person who has us needed her, too. He…took Manny and Sam when Manny left to move Sam somewhere else. He didn't know other people were in the house, Ric. Um…I…well, there's something else. Manny's dead, they'll find him at the bottom of the lake by that house. I killed him, Ric. He told me that I had to kill him. He told…he told me…it had to be done. Ric…" she walked over to Ric who was standing on the other side of the bed and put her hands around his waist and buried her head in his chest, "it had to be done. You know? I've never killed someone like that. I mean, I didn't mean to kill Luis Alcazar, but I meant to kill Manny. I even smiled after. He" she was breathing faster, "he hurt Sam. I had to do it." She let go of Ric, walked to the window looking out on the lake and started to cry.

Ric rushed to her and held her from behind. It was his turn to wrap his arms around her waist. He placed his hand on her stomach, "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. Well…" he smiled, "maybe not Kristina, Molly, or this little person, but…they…are…you, so yeah, I love you more than anything, Alexis. What could be so important to keep you away from us?"

Alexis ignored that last question and leaned her head back on his shoulder. After a moment, she turned in his arms and looked up at him.

"Let's just be together right now. For as long as we're allowed. You can look for me, Ric… Jason, I'm sure, will look as well, but we're fine. If either one of you finds us, we'll turn you away…we'll say that we don't want you. We'll act like we don't know you. Ric, we don't want to be found. You can't be with us right now…and…we can't contact you. Just, let us go for a little while…we'll be back."

"Alexis…" Ric started to complain.

"Shhh." Alexis kissed him. They stood there kissing for what felt like hours. Ric's head spun and he felt as if it were their first…and last kiss. As they made love that last time in their dreams, he cried, he took his time and savored every second. She held him tight and cried as well. They looked into each other's eyes and said "I love you" at the same time. Then, all went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Alexis woke up and was in a very comfortable bed in an outstandingly elegant room. It was light outside, but the curtains were drawn. She had on her same clothes. She got out of bed and walked out of the room to view the inside of a very elegant mansion. Everything was gorgeous. A butler walked up to her.

"I hope that everything is to you liking, Princess."

"Yes, everything is fine, um…may I see my daughter now? I haven't seen her in a while … since before she was kidnapped, and I just … I want to make sure that she's really okay. She must be very confused."

He answered, "Tea will be served in an hour. You will see her then. It's downstairs, the sixth room down the left hallway."

"Thank you," she said.

"Yes, Princess, anything else, ma'am?" He asked politely.

"Clothes …"

"In your closet."

"Thank you."

"Of course, Princess…" He bowed to her and walked away.

Alexis had to get used to that. She walked back into her room, peeked in the closet, and found the most gorgeous wardrobe. She took the dress that wasn't as fancy as the others and headed to the restroom. She took a long, hot bubble bath and thought about the last week. She remembered her dream with Ric and secretly hoped that he wouldn't listen. She wanted nothing else but to go home to them…them…her family. Her everything. She placed a hand on her stomach. It was a boy. She knew it. She also knew that she would never be able to see him. Her first boy. Probably her only boy. He would be taken after birth and raised by these people. She cried, her heart breaking, remembering the conversation that she had with 'him':

"What do you want with me?"

"A child. You have four…the eldest is too old. Kristina wouldn't really do because she's attached to you already. She's such a beautiful child, Natasha. I honestly don't understand though, your relationship with her … father."

"It was a temporarily lapse of judgment. I apologize for that … Dad." She laughed.

Mikkos smiled and reached his hand over to hold hers, "I'm sorry, Natasha. You can stay here, you can move your entire family here in this mansion and …"

"No. I can't do that. I don't understand why I have to give up my child though, Molly and this baby are so very important to me, I can't just let them go. Why can't …"

"This is the only way, Natasha. This is it. Here, take this …" he handed her a small white pill, "This will help you sleep. Tell your husband that you will act as if you have no idea who he is if he finds you…you'll know what that means when you fall asleep." Mikkos explained, noticing her confused reaction.

"I do love you, Natasha. I always have. I will treat this child with so much love that I denied showing you."

Alexis just looked at her father, "I love you too, but I hate you for doing this to me."

"I know…I know."

Ric walked out of Molly's room and right into Jason.

"Sorry, um…your Nanny told me I could find you here. We need to talk."

"Yeah, we do, Jason." Ric agreed and led him to the living room. "Jason, I had a dream…it was so real…"

"I had the same one."

Ric looked horrified and then kind-of smiled. "I hope it was Sam that was in yours and not my wife."

Jason actually smiled at that. "Yeah, it was Sam. She told me that they were fine, but you and I couldn't…"

"… look for them…" Ric finished his sentence.

"Yeah."

"… but we have to," Ric stated.

"Yeah," agreed Jason

"Well then…let's get started!" Ric smiled, and he called Lorenzo, Ned, Jax, and Nikolas.

"Can I please take a breather?" Sam asked.

"May I …" he corrected.

Sam rolled her eyes. She wasn't proper…she wasn't a 'lady', she definitely wasn't Princess material, but she had to be…this was the third hour of her training. She was sick of it.

"Listen, I know that you hate this, Princess, but it has to be done. I would prefer the younger ones, but your mother refused. She knew that you could handle it. So, don't disappoint my only living daughter, try harder, please."

Mikkos was getting fed up with his granddaughter. She was hard around the edges and acted as if she had no royal bone in her body.

"So you were married to Helena? May I ask why?" she emphasized the "may I".

"Yes, unfortunately, for many years…and I'm not sure exactly why. She was different when we first met. That's how she sunk her claws in to me."

"And she will freak out when she finds out that you're alive!" Chimed in Alexis in the doorway. Mikkos looked over to Alexis.

"Don't say the phrase 'freak out', Natasha," he ordered, but was unheard as Sam bounced up from the table and ran into her mothers arms.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Alexis, I'm so extremely happy to see you!" Sam hugged her so tight with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey! I was so frightened for you, Sam. Let me look at you…are you okay?" Alexis placed her hands around Sam's face and suddenly started crying, "I'm so sorry, Sam. It my fault that he was able to take you, I defended him…you warned me…"

"Stop it…no…stop Alexis…it's not your fault…look, Manny was in Port Charles harassing me before you had anything to do with this! Nothing that has happened has been your fault." She dried her mother's tears and hugged her again, "Nothing is your fault. You saved me."

"Well, actually, I saved you…" Mikkos said strolling up to the women.

"Oh, that's right, thank you Pawpaw." Sam smiled.

Alexis looked at her father and Sam and had to smile. She knew that she was in for a tough nine months, but she would convince her father to let her, her daughter, and her unborn child go. It did make her happy to be near him again. She knew that he loved her, but was that love big enough to let her go? She was going to find out … tonight.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jax, Ned, and Nikolas showed up to meet with Ric. Jason was going to meet with Lorenzo. Ric and Jason decided that the criminals should act together, and the others would work together.

"Okay, so, is there anything in particular about the dream that you remember? I mean, did she say anything that stood out?"

Ric smiled, "We only talked for a few minutes."

Ned made a face. He remembered 'not talking' with Alexis. That was the best part of their relationship.

Jax just laughed, "Seriously Ric, what makes you think that it was 'real'? I mean, it was a dream … what if Manny put them somewhere …"

"We found Manny's body right where she told me Jax. I know it was real … I just know it."

"Okay Ric … so, when you two were talking … what did she say?"

Ric tried his hardest to remember the entire conversation.

When they were finally alone, Alexis pulled Sam close to her and didn't let her go.

"What's going on Ale…Mom?" Sam asked.

Alexis smiled. "You can call me Alexis. The whole 'Mom' thing is still a little…new."

"Yeah, it's still awkward, but I do want to call you Mom eventually, and only that."

Alexis let go of Sam and motioned for her to sit with her on the huge balcony. They both sat in silence for a while. Sam was enjoying the sunlight. She looked over at her mother and saw the tears.

"Alexis, what's wrong…I mean…I know what's wrong, but, are you okay?" Sam didn't know how to ask her mother to tell her everything that was running through her mind.

"Was your father nice to you? I mean, did he tell you he loved you and that you were beautiful, smart, wonderful?" Alexis asked looking into the distance.

Sam cleared her throat and laughed a little, "He wasn't around much when I was young. He took me when I turned fifteen to "work" with him, and he was nice enough. I loved him and I knew that he loved me. He was proud of me."

Alexis smiled, "Good. I'm glad you felt loved." She looked over at Sam, "You are still loved, you are beautiful, and smart, and wonderful."

Sam blushed and felt even more awkward, "Thank you. What's going on Alexis?"

Alexis let out a long breath, "I just…I didn't have that. I mean, I thought that my father was dead until I was thirty-something. "Uncle" Mikkos showed me little affection and praise, mainly because Helena was always lurking around…but…I found out a few years back that he did love me. It's just…so…" Alexis began crying "so…weird, for lack of a better word…yeah, weird, unusual, bizarre to have him in my life again. I just, I don't know, I want to just run in there and hug him forever, but then again, I want to run to him and beat him to the ground." She laughed.

Sam looked sadly at Alexis. She reached her hand over and took Alexis' in hers, "I felt the same way with you at first." They both laughed hard at that.

"Sam, I want you to know that I never stopped thinking about you. I knew that you would have dark hair and dark eyes because you did the day you were born, but I always wondered if you would wear it long, short, shaved off…if you were stubborn like me. If you had panic attacks and needed a little brown bag…if you liked popcorn, or knew how to cook."

Sam smiled, "Long, very stubborn…like you…" Alexis smiled "I've never had a panic attack to my knowledge, I love popcorn, and I burn water."

"Just like me."

"Just like you."

Kristina was very upset. She'd been waking up with bad dreams for the past three days. "Mommy!!" Ric ran in the room, leaving the three other men to think.

"Hey baby…hey," Kristina looked up at her Daddy Ric and yelled at him, "I want my MOTHER! Where is she? She told me, no, she promised me that she would never ever leave me and she did!"

Ric sat down beside her, "Sweetheart, Mommy would never, ever leave you, but she had to go away for a little while and…"

"Where?" Kristina interrupted, not wasting any time with his made up stories.

"Um…well, sweetie, she wouldn't even tell me."

"Did she tell my daddy? Did she tell Nikolas? What about her boss? She would have to tell her boss…"

"Well, she's kind-of her own boss…"

Kristina was very upset now. She got up from bed and looked exactly like Alexis. She stood in front of Ric and pointed her finger at him.

"I don't ask for toys, I don't ask for more dessert, I am a good girl, and I want my MOMMY!" Her breathing started to speed up and she was holding it for as long as she could. Ric kneeled down to the well-spoken five-year-old.

"You know what…me too. I don't ask for much either, I love your Mommy with every single piece of my heart, baby, and I want her back more than anything, but…I'm not sure if it's going to happen..."

Kristina looked like she just saw a ghost, "She…might not come back?"

"Oh, no…she will…oh, she will Kristina, I didn't mean that, it just might not happen tomorrow, or next week. You know how much your Mommy loves you and Molly…"

"and you …"

"… yeah, and me." He had to smile.

"Kristina," Ric explained as he picked her up, sat her in his lap and began rocking her to try to sooth her a little, "you're going to have a baby brother or sister again…did you know that?"

She looked up at him and instantly smiled, "It's gonna be a boy…I know it! Is that why she's gone? 'Cause … she left to have Molly…"

"No…she'll definitely be back before the baby's born. Kristina, I promise you that you will have me forever, you will have your Mommy forever, and Sam, Molly, and this baby boy…which I still think is a girl…"

He looked down at his beautiful little niece? Stepdaughter? No, she was his. Completely his. He looked down at his beautiful daughter asleep finally in his arms and whispered, "You're my little girl forever. I will always put you and Molly and Sam and the new baby and your beautiful Mommy first. I will never hurt you. I will never disappoint you…well, I'll try not to." He smiled and put her down in the bed. She was his little Alexis while Alexis was gone.

Sam had gone inside to sleep. She had an appointment to get fitted for her "ball gown" early the next morning. Mikkos had planned a very extravagant ball for the two women to be introduced to the people of the island. Sam still wasn't sure where they were exactly. She assumed Greece.

Alexis was staring out at the ocean view and leaning her elbows onto the balcony. She missed Ric. She missed Nikolas. Most of all, she missed Kristina and Molly. She knew that Kristina would think that she left her, that she would never come back, but Alexis relied on Ric to calm her and assure her that she would be back. Alexis' mind drifted to Stefan. She wanted him back. The old Stefan, the thirteen-year-old who took care of her and loved her more than anyone had ever loved her. She then thought about her sister. They were full-blooded sisters. Kristina's face drifted into Alexis' thoughts when she closed her eyes. That beautiful smile, that red hair.

"Nata…Alexis?"

"Why do you call me Natasha, father? You never did before?" She looked angrily at Mikkos who had decided to join her on the balcony, "You lied to me…my entire life was one huge lie. You let me think that my baby sister was dead. You made me think that my parents were dead. You let Helena MURDER my mother!" Sam's eyes grew wide. She was listening from upstairs out the window.

Mikkos was silent. He knew that his daughter had to get this off of her chest. "How could you look at me every day…the seven-year-old, the nine-year-old, the twelve-year-old, and NOT hug me, not tell me that I was…SPECIAL, that I was loved?" Alexis was sobbing. She fell onto the lounge chair and looked away.

Mikkos didn't know what to do or say. He wanted to say that he was sorry, but he knew that it wouldn't help.

Alexis, still sobbing, continued to look away. She said, with no expression on her face, she whispered, "He raped me."

Mikkos' jaw dropped ever so slightly, "Wha…"

"Mom, mom…" Sam called as she ran onto the balcony. She came down to catch her mother after she fell with Mikkos and decided to interrupt after that last phrase, "Come on, we're going to bed." Alexis was still sobbing, but she took Sam's hand. Mikkos just stood there. His baby girl was raped. Was that how Sam was conceived? …Helena…Helena knew what happened, he was sure of it. He stormed off of the balcony and went into his study to call someone he hadn't wanted to talk to ever again.

Ric walked into the living room to see the three men obviously frustrated. Jax was yelling at Nikolas, "Well it was OBVIOUSLY Helena! Who else…"

"Guys…" Ric interrupted, "There is an angry-five-year old and a probably angrier infant in there…so shut up."

Jax and Nikolas both looked apologetically at Ric, "Look, I think that we're done for the night, if there is anything you can think of Nikolas, you especially, please, call me…I'll probably be awake. I don't like to sleep much anymore."

Jax and Nikolas said goodbye and left. Ned walked up to Ric. "You have to sleep. What if you dream again?"

"It's been three nights since my last dream and it hurts when I wake up and she didn't come," Ric said, feeling childish.

Ned smiled sympathetically, "Alexis isn't easy to get over. She isn't easy to live without, Ric, but you can't give up. Even if you get angry at her when she comes back and you've been married for ten years, you can't give up on her. She's stubborn, and crazy at times," Ned smiled, "But believe me, you'll miss her when she's gone. You know that now. It's very hard…to live without her in your life."

Ric just nodded. He wasn't used to sharing like this with anyone besides Alexis or Sonny…Sonny, he had to remember to check on him later. Was he still even missing?

Ned said goodbye after offering to stay and get up with the girls so Ric could sleep, but Ric assured Ned that he was fine. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be completely alone with his two girls and the thought of their mother and his unborn child.

Sam helped Alexis into her pajamas. Alexis was so very tired. She hadn't realized that she hadn't slept in almost twenty-eight hours. Sam helped Alexis into her bed and tucked her in. The sobbing had stopped, but the tears still fell. Sam made sure that Alexis was looking at her…

"You, mother, are supposed to do this for me. I'm the kid here…"

Alexis let out a little laugh, "I'll tuck you in tomorrow night."

"Okay, I'm going to hold you to that. Look, tomorrow, we're going to talk…we're going to talk about how we're gonna get home, about how to get Mikkos to stay in our lives when we get there, and we're going to talk about what you said on the balcony."

"He's not your father," was all Alexis said before leaning up, kissing Sam on the forehead, and drifting off to sleep.

Sam just watched her and ran her fingers through her mother's hair, helping her fall asleep, "It doesn't matter…I don't need a father…all I need is you," she whispered before sliding in next to Alexis and wrapping her arms around her. For the first time … ever … Sam felt completely safe and loved. She had all she needed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ric was tired. He didn't sleep the night before and it was time to put Molly to bed. He changed her diaper and sat in the rocking chair next to her crib. He whispered to her, "You are growing up so quickly itty bitty." She liked that nickname. She always broke into a smile when she heard it. Maybe he was wrong and she just smiled a lot, "I miss your Mommy," was all he could say. She drifted off to sleep a few moments later and he just held her. He stopped rocking and just held his itty bitty.

Alexis woke up holding her daughter. She smiled as she looked down on her. She was beautiful. Alexis was so proud that Sam was her daughter. She thought back on all the times that she had been around Sam in the past. Representing her in court, yelling at her in the chapel for her daughter's stem cells. Alexis suddenly realized that that child was her grandchild. She closed her eyes and replayed the events in her head. So many mistakes made. So much sorrow and helplessness surrounded her and she felt guilty. Jason and Sam blamed her for her granddaughters death, and to a certain extent, she blamed herself. It was difficult not to blame herself for almost everything that Sam went through. Danny died because she was chosen to receive the antidote to the virus, she upset Sam in the chapel that day, which led to her losing her little girl, and she represented Manny, forced or not, and helped set him free.

"What'cha thinkin'?

Alexis was shaken from her somber thoughts by Sam who had just awaken and was looking up at her mother.

"You…don't want to know." Alexis offered a smile.

"I wouldn't ask…Mom…" Sam smiled back and sat up on the bed, crossing her legs like a little girl waiting for her mommy to tell her a bedtime story. Alexis sat up as well.

"Well, I was thinking about when I represented Manny, I was thinking about your brother Danny, and your daughter, my granddaughter."

Tears formed in Sam's eyes, "I blamed you for everything."

Alexis just nodded, "I'm so sorry…"

Sam leaned forward and hugged Alexis. She whispered as her tears fell, "None of it was your fault." She leaned back and looked at Alexis, "You were chosen to get the serum instead of Danny. I understood that. You were forced to represent Manny, which I think was horrible of whoever forced you to do it. With Lila, I honestly….I think that…" this was hard for Sam, "I should have induced the second Sonny asked me. She'd be here right now."

"You did what you had to, Sam. I yelled at you, I know it wasn't technically my fault for her…for you losing her, but I yelled at you."

"But you did what you had to. Alexis, Kristina would have died. You did what you had to and I know…I always knew…that you didn't mean for any of it to happen."

Alexis nodded sadly. Sam just looked down.

"You know," Sam said, "it's sad that we didn't know back then that you were my mother…you wouldn't have had to tell Sonny."

Alexis looked at Sam, "I've thought of that, too, but it would have come out eventually. Sonny gets what he wants sooner or later."

"You hate him still?" Sam asked.

Alexis took in a deep breath, "No. I've never really hated Sonny. I love Sonny, Sam. I always will. We shared…a friendship that I'd never experienced before. We loved each other long before that night we created Kristina. I don't think that I was ever 'in love' with him…but…I loved him…deeply. I honestly think that if fate or destiny is real, I was meant to know Sonny so that…would give me Ric."

Sam smiled, "I feel the same way about Jason."

Alexis smiled, "Our men…the dangerous, obsessive, crazy men…that we have to get back to before they do something stupid!"

They both laughed.

Two more days had passed and Alexis didn't see Mikkos once. Sam was fitted for her gown and Alexis tagged along to help pick out the color.

"This is so stupid! Why are we having this ball when we're going to leave soon?" Sam whined.

Alexis looked at Sam as she fixed part of the dress, "Quit whining!"

Sam looked at Alexis in shock, mouth wide open. Both women burst with laughter, "I can't believe you just said that! So much for the sweet mother/daughter bonding!"

Alexis continued to laugh, "Now you get to meet the real mother in me! All right, stand still, let me see you."

Sam was modeling the dress for Alexis, pretending to walk down a runway and dancing crazy. Both women were having such fun, when Mikkos walked in.

"That's beautiful Samantha. Very nice choice," he complemented.

"Thank you." She smiled politely.

Alexis took Mikkos off to the side after a while and asked him, "That pill that you gave me, the one that let me dream of Ric, are there more? I'd like to go home for a little while and see my daughters."

Mikkos looked at his daughter and found it hard to say no. He told her that he'd stop by her room later with a pill. Alexis smiled brightly, "Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me!"

"You cannot tell him where you are, Natasha. You have to tell him not to even look for you."

"I know, I know. I just want to see my babies."

"Alright. Another thing, we need to talk about what happened the other night…what was said…"

"Not now…I'm having fun with my daughter. We'll talk tomorrow, or the next day. I don't really want to remember it, you know."

Mikkos nodded and retired to his study. He dialed the familiar number, "She won't give up. She won't forget. She cares more about her family than I thought. Yes … plan B."

--

Ric found out that the only time that he was able to sleep was when he was holding Molly in her rocking chair. Kristina had been asleep for a few hours already and Molly had dozed off again a few minutes ago. Ric was nodding off with Molly in his arms when he heard her door creak open. He thought it would be either Viola coming to check up on Molly or even Jason, who had basically moved in. Ric didn't see them, he saw her.

"Alexis!" He whispered

"Shh…" Alexis put her finger up to her mouth and smiled.

She walked up to them and didn't take her eyes off of Molly, "Hi, my baby …" tears started streaming down her face. Ric handed Molly over to her and watch Alexis talk to Molly. He wanted to go wake Kristina. He started walking out when Alexis stopped him.

"Where are you going?" She whispered.

"I'll wake Kristina."

"No. No, Ric, I'll go in and see her, but she can't see me. I can't explain this to her."

Ric's face fell and tears formed in his eyes, "This is another dream. Another damn dream! Alexis …"

"Hey, stop … Ric, give me some time with Molly, then I'll go see Kristina, then I'll talk to you."

Ric was upset … angry … jealous. He wanted to spend time with her. He started to walk out.

"Ric?" Alexis questioned, almost in a whine, "Why are you leaving? Stay with me."

He looked at her sitting in the rocking chair with Molly and smiled. A sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. He was happy she was home … dream or not.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ric watched as Alexis rocked Molly to sleep and then went to see Kristina. Alexis knew that she couldn't wake Kristina because there was no way to explain why she wasn't real.

Alexis walked up to Kristina's bed and just looked at her. She smiled at her daughter and started crying. She wanted so badly to crawl in next to her and wrap her daughter around in her arms. Ric came up behind Alexis and wrapped his arms around her.

"She misses you," he whispered in her ear.

"I miss her," Alexis replied. They walked out hand in hand and Alexis took one look back in, "She saved me. I would have gone crazy if she didn't come when she did."

They walked into their room and just sat together on the bed. Alexis looked at Ric with sad eyes and asked him, "Do you hate me?"

Ric was surprised, "Of course not … baby, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone." He noticed her sobs coming and he pulled her in close to him, "I just want you back with me. Back with us! I don't understand why you can't come home for real. Who has you Alexis? Why is this so important?"

She just kissed him. He hadn't realized how much he missed kissing her. They kissed for hours and lost count of how many times they made love. Holding her in his arms, he kissed the top of her head and finally breathed a sigh of relief, "You are coming back. I've known that all along, Alexis … and … I'll wait for you."

She looked up at him and smiled, "I love you. There has never been anyone like you before. We've been through so much together, Ric … Kristina's illness, the custody, her kidnapping, Reese …" Ric looked down. Guilt was written on his face.

"That was such a …"

"I know, Ric, I know," She assured him, "… the train wreck and Molly's birth, the epidemic, Sam … we've lived a lifetime in a few years and we can get through this, too."

"We're strong. You are my strength, Alexis, but I just don't know how much longer I can get beat up by Kristina for answers," He joked.

"She beats you up?" She smiled.

He nodded, "She's kicked me." They both laughed.

"Just keep telling her that I love her and I'll come back as soon as I can. I think he's warming up to me."

"Who is he? Alexis … who is he?"

"I can't … Ric, I can't tell you. Not now. Just … let me deal with it and come back to you."

He brought his hand to her stomach, "I don't want to miss out on this baby. I want to be there every second, Alexis. With Molly, I was a jerk, such an asshole. I look back and I wonder why we broke up in the first place. It was probably Sonny, and my God, Alexis, I was so wrong. Everything I've done … you've forgiven me for. Baby …" he took her head in his hands, "I will cherish you and worship the ground you walk on for the rest of my life. Just come back to me … as soon as humanly possible."

Alexis was crying, "I will. I love you. You were a jerk, you were an asshole, but you were my jerk, my asshole … and I'll always love you, Ric. Unless …"

Ric smiled, "Never again … you are it for me … you are it …" he kissed her. Their tongues exploring each others as if they had never kissed before. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her so close to him and then she was gone. Molly's crying woke him up.

"Damnit!" He felt like crying. He felt like punching the wall, he felt like …. like … like going to rock Molly back to sleep, which is just what he did.

"Okay itty bitty, when Mommy was here you wouldn't give us a lot of time alone, and now, you won't let Daddy dream of her." He picked Molly up and looked at her beautiful little face. She was the best of him. She was everything to him and it was all because of Alexis.

--

Mikkos slammed the phone down. He loved Alexis deeply, but if he didn't get this heir, he would never see her again.

"Wow, I know I've only known you for a few days, but I've never seen you that angry."

Mikkos looked up at Sam leaning against the doorframe, "Yeah, well, it's not a good day," he explained.

"So, the ball is cancelled tonight … I hope … I hope … I hope …" she said jokingly.

"No such luck Sam," Alexis answered for Mikkos walking past her and towards her father, "The ball will happen tonight as planned, but I've got something else to add to the agenda …" she said stopping in front of Mikkos, crossing her arms and looking fierce, "Either Ric and Jason come to the ball tonight," Alexis demanded, looking over at Sam's wide eyes and huge smile, "or Sam and I attend the ball, and leave immediately after to go home."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"JAX!!" Carly screamed.

Jax was in the living room reading over some new documents sent to him for the hotel and rolled his eyes, "YES?!" He yelled back.

Carly didn't respond. She wasn't about to lose her voice begging for a foot massage. Jax entered their bedroom and saw Carly pouting on the bed.

"Yes?" Jax said, clearly not amused.

"Nothing," Carly pouted.

"Jesus…" Jax mumbled as he walked out. The 'honeymoon' stage of their relationship had come to a screeching halt after the kidnapping. It had only been a week! It felt like ten years to Jax, who took solace in the time he spent at Ric and Ale…Ric's. Jax sat back on the couch and felt the tears come to his eyes. He brought Michael and Morgan over to Ric's every day since Alexis disappeared to spend some time with Kristina and Molly. The kids loved the visits and Jax loved the opportunity to see glimpses of John, who was staying there with his nanny while Nikolas was attending to Emily in the hospital. Jax could tell that Ric needed someone to talk to. Jason was there every time they went over as well, but he was as silent as usual. He was hurting, too. Jax and Ric had long conversations about Alexis, possible abductors, and why in the world she would want to stay. Jax wiped the tears away and thought about his friend. His best friend. She got him. She was the only one who stuck by his side through thick and thin. Even after the paternity of John came to light, Alexis was there. She would choose to love him no matter what. Jax just didn't believe that Ric's dreams were reality. He couldn't imagine one man Alexis would leave with, leaving behind Ric, Kristina, and Molly. Perhaps Stefan, but he was dead. A light bulb in Jax's head went off. Stranger things have happened. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Nikolas' number.

"JAaaax …" yelled Carly, again …

Jax just shook his head and walked out the door into the hallway, "Nikolas, meet me at Ric's. I have something …"

--

"Emily?"

Emily looked up at Nikolas, "Hey."

"Hey, I'm going to go back over to Ric's for a little while, you okay?"

"Yeah, Liz said she'd be here in about thirty minutes when she gets off work."

"Okay, Emily … um … I love you."

Emily just smiled and nodded. She wasn't ready to say that yet. Sonny still was in her mind.

Nikolas just nodded back and walked out, passing Lulu in the hallway crying, "Lulu, sweetie, what's going on?"

Lulu wouldn't stop crying, "Dillon … he … he …"

"Come with me …" They both walked out. Nikolas didn't know what the preppy rich boy did to his little sister, but he'd find out and see to it that Dillon would regret it.

Wait a minute, someone once called him a preppy rich boy. Nikolas laughed to himself … 'I was different' he told himself. All thanks to Alexis … who he would get back if it was the last thing he did.

--

"Either Ric and Jason come to the ball tonight," Alexis demanded, looking over at Sam's wide eyes and huge smile, "or Sam and I attend the ball, and leave immediately after to go home." Sam looked so happy. Alexis stared her father in his eyes, "Yeah, I didn't get to order my father around when I was little, but by God, I'll do it now! I want to go home. I need to go home. I WILL go home. TONIGHT!" Alexis spun around and drug Sam out who was just standing there all giddy.

Once in Alexis' room, Sam jumped up and down, "We're going home!" She was giggling like crazy and jumping around like a little girl … "Oooh, I'm gonna go pack!"

"Sam, wait."

Sam looked at Alexis. She saw that she wasn't too happy. She saw that Alexis looked sad and defeated. Sam's face dropped.

"Mikkos didn't say anything. We won't be going anywhere." Alexis sat on the bed frustrated.

Sam sat down next to Alexis and leaned her head on Alexis' shoulder, "Well, he was pretty shocked by you scaring the life out of him yellin' like that! Give him some time. He saw you finally stand up to him. I was wondering what was taking so long."

"Why didn't you say anything? I mean … to me … why haven't you been itching to get out of this place?"

Sam looked up at Alexis. She stood up and started pacing the room. Alexis just watched her intently, waiting for a reply.

"Honestly?"

Alexis smiled, "No … lie to me, sweetie."

Sam smiled back, "Okay with the sarcasm. Okay … honestly … I like it here. I get to spend time with you all to myself. You aren't running off to work or looking over files or …"

"Doting over Kristina and Molly?" Alexis' heart was breaking.

"Well … yeah, I mean, I know that you have to and all, and I'm not jealous, well, maybe a little, in a good way … is that possible? To be jealous in a good way?"

"I think so," Alexis answered.

"Okay, well, there ya go. I'm sorry …"

"Don't be sorry, I love spending time with you, too, and I know that you miss Kristina and Molly and Jason, too, but, I do love this me and you time."

Sam nodded her head, "I am ready to go home."

Alexis stood up and wrapped her arms around Sam, "Listen to me, Sam. No matter what happens when we get back … tomorrow …" she had to put that in there, "we will still spend time together. Too much time … you're going to get sick of me again."

Sam, who was hugging her arms around her mother's waist, looked up at her, "I'll get sick of you again for sure …" she smiled, "but in a good way."

Alexis smiled and kissed Sam on the head, "In a good way."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"You did what?! You slept with him?! Just to break them up?? " Nikolas screamed at Lulu, who was sobbing in the seat beside him, "And your mentor was CARLY?? Good Lord, child, I will have a very serious discussion with your father AND YOUR COUSIN!"

"Stop screaming!" Yelled Lulu. Her head hurt.

"I'm sorry …" Nikolas responded.

Lulu sank back into the seat, "Dillon was the only person who got me," she whispered.

Nikolas looked over at his little sister, "I love you, Lulu."

She smiled sadly over at him, "I love you, too."

--

Alexis woke up on her bed wrapped around Sam. She leaned back and just watched her firstborn daughter sleep, "You're so beautiful …" she whispered. She kissed Sam's forehead and started crying. She looked up at the ceiling. "God, Robert," she whispered even lighter. Sam stirred and looked up at her mother.

"Hey, there. We fell asleep … during the day!" Alexis smiled, "I don't remember the last time I took a nap."

Sam smiled, "I … um … I was wondering if we could talk … well, if you could talk and I could listen …"

Alexis knew this was coming. Of course it was. She had blurted out that she was raped two nights ago and no one said anything since about it. She also knew that there was a lot of explaining to do about how Sam was conceived.

"I know." Alexis looked over at Sam, "Where do you want to talk? Here?"

Sam watched Alexis closely, "I don't care. Can you …"

"Yeah. I'm okay. Okay … where to begin?"

"He raped you? My fath--"

"No!! Not your father!!"

Sam was stunned that Alexis yelled so loud.

"I'm sorry Sam …" she reached over and held Sam's hand, "Sorry…you were conceived from love. Lots and lots of love." Alexis smiled and the tears came.  
"No, Stavros raped me. My brother … well, he thought I was his cousin, but it's sick either way. Hell, even if we weren't related … which, I honestly never thought we were because we were so completely different …"

"Mom! You're rambling." Sam looked at her mother.

Alexis stopped and smiled, "Sorry."

Sam smiled back.

"Okay …" Alexis took her time explaining. She broke down in the middle of some sentences and she and Sam held each other. It was hard for her to breathe at times, but she had to get this out, "I was….thirteen, fourteen, maybe both…he was older, not by too much, but older. Stefan had no idea. Otherwise, he would've killed Stavros. Anyway, for about a year, Stavros would….he would find me…at night, no matter where I hid. I learned quickly that if I just…did it…if I let him do it, he wouldn't…hurt me."

Sam cried. They both did. Mikkos, who was in the hall outside listening, did as well.

"So this went on for about a year. No one knew…Stefan, Mikkos…Helena. I think even Helena would have put an end to it. She knew that he was my brother…anyway, one night…one night…he couldn't…you know, I don't know…I think he was too drunk, he did that a lot, especially before…he found me. He was probably disgusted with himself. We were all sheltered. I mean, we didn't get out of the house, or mansion, or castle, whatever you want to call it…we'll call it hell. We didn't get out of hell much. It wasn't like he could just go get a girlfriend or something, so I had to do. Anyway, one night, he couldn't…you know…finish…and so he blamed me. He blamed me until I thought I would die. He beat me for about two hours. Those two hours were the…longest…it hurt. A lot. Not just because he did it, but because…I screamed. I screamed and no one came. I eventually stopped screaming and just took it. I didn't fight back. I just lay there, praying to die. So…when he was done, he left and…so did I."

"Where'd you go?" Sam barely spoke…she was crying so hard and holding Alexis close.

"I ran out…in the rain, of course, and I went to the only place I knew. I went to where I felt the happiest, and the best about myself. When Stefan and I were little, I was around ten, we would go to this old library in town and hide out when Helena was on one of her rampages. So…I went there. We had a hiding place in the back corner of the third floor that no one ever looked in. I went there…for two days, thinking that Stefan might come find me…but…he never came. After another day…I…was feeling a little better. My face was less swollen, so I snuck out to find a book or something to do. I stole food from the bakery down the street and just…lived…survived."

"I found a book to read and when I was heading back to my corner, I ran into him." Alexis smiled, "He…was gorgeous." Sam smiled. "Robert. He was a little older than me. Anyway, he was concerned about what had happened to me and we…talked. We instantly became great friends and he took care of me. Nursed me back to health. No one had ever been that nice to me…not even Stefan…so, I fell madly in love with him." She smiled, remember the boy. "He took me away. He…we went to Paris. My God, Paris…I haven't been there since. I think it would be wrong of me to go back. Anyway, sorry, we…lived in a small apartment in Paris for about a year. I had never been so happy, which…doesn't say much, because I was completely miserable before then, but…even now, I think that was the happiest I'd ever been. I love Ric, more than I've ever loved anyone, but there is something about a first love. You know?"

Sam nodded. She was so amazed by what her mother was telling her. Her mother and father loved each other. She wasn't a mistake.

"On my fifteenth birthday, and he was seventeen then by the way, anyway, we went to this small little chapel, he told me to wait in the hall while he talked to the priest, but of course I didn't. I snuck by the door and I heard him tell the priest that he didn't care if it was legal or not, he wanted to call me his wife." Alexis breathed… "I just remember smiling. He came back out and got me…and, we were married. It wasn't legal, but we knew it was. I was fifteen that day and I felt so much older. I felt as if I'd lived a whole lifetime and he was my prize at the end. So, we were happy for a few more months…so extremely happy, Sam, it was disgusting really! Anyway, one day, Robert left for work and I had to go shopping for groceries. I remember…" Alexis let the tears fall…fast. "I remember him…kissing my forehead, my cheeks, my eyelids, the tip of my nose, and my chin, then I grabbed him and kissed him on the lips…goodbye. We always did that when he left for work and when he got back. God, Sam, this is hard…" Alexis broke into a sob.

Sam held her closer. She wanted to hear the rest, but she didn't want Alexis to hurt, "You don't have to…"

"No, I'm almost done. Okay, so…that was…that was the last time I saw him. Outside of the grocery store, Helena grabbed me. She took me back to Greece and put me on the first flight to the boarding school in the states. I…I just assumed that she either didn't know about Robert…or…she had him killed. She wouldn't dare let someone live if she knew that I loved them, or they loved me."

Sam looked up at her mother, "So you never saw him again? He didn't look for you?"

"No, I assumed he was dead. He would've looked for me...he would have found me … nothing would have stopped him … he was always itching to travel somewhere, go on an adventure. He would never have let me go without a fight…so, I just assumed he was dead."

"… and at boarding school, that's when you found out about me?"

"Yes. About two weeks after I arrived. My counselor went behind my back and told Mikkos. Thank God Helena wasn't home that day. So, nine wonderful months of having you inside me went by," they both smiled, "and, Mikkos arranged for the adoption. Sam, I didn't want to let you go. You were my reminder of him. You were the product of the only happiness I'd ever had, and you were so very beautiful. Dark hair, dark eyes, you were an angel…my angel. I knew though, that Helena would kill you. I knew that…that you would be happier living in a home than on the streets hiding with me."

"No, that's where you're wrong. I would have been happier with you," Sam assured her.

Alexis broke down after hearing that and held Sam close.

"I think we're done talking for now," Sam said and soon fell asleep once again in her mother's arms. Alexis held Sam and looked up as the door creaked open to their room. There stood Mikkos, the tears still stained on his face. He mouthed the words to his first daughter, "I'm sorry".

Alexis nodded, "Me too," she mouthed. He would let them go. Forget everything. He would finally let his daughter be happy.

--

Ric had just got Kristina tucked in and Jason had put Molly to sleep. The two men came to an agreement; they actually liked each other now. Jason was a big help with the girls and Michael and Morgan when they came over. He was also a friend when Ric needed to talk. Jason didn't talk much, but Ric could tell that he was very upset. They walked into the living room just in time to see Jax, Nikolas, Lulu, Michael, and Morgan approach the door. Ric opened and smiled, "Hey gang." The all filed in and took their respective seats on the couches and chairs.

"First of all, Michael…"

Michael looked up at Ric. He stood up and walked over to him, "Ric…I didn't like you for a long time, but I like you now. So does Morgan. We love it here. Everyone is always sad here…you, Jason, Kristina, Viola, even Molly most of the time, but…Morgan and I are only happy when we're here. Mom just stays in bed and sometimes in the bathtub. I haven't seen her in a week. So, if it's okay with you, can…can we stay with you?" Jason looked at Ric and then Jax.

"Jax, is Carly okay? Is she depressed or something?"

"No, Jason, no…I had Lainey come see her…she's fine, she's just…Carly."

Ric looked at Michael and they both listened to Jason and Jax, "Michael, I would love it if you and Morgan came to stay here." He smiled. Michael ran to him and gave him the first hug of his life.

Jax, Ric, Jason, and Nikolas were in the living room talking about the possibility of Stefan being alive while Lulu, Viola, and Leticia put the kids to sleep and found empty rooms to sleep in themselves.

"Why would you think that Jax?" Nikolas asked.

"Well, why would Alexis stay away? I mean, who would she leave her family for, if only for a few months? Stefan. That's it. I still personally don't think these dreams are real."

Jason spoke up to defend Ric, "Jax, sorry man, but why would I have them, too. Sam told me that they'd be back, and that they were okay. I believe them."

Ric just nodded, "I know Jax. I've been doubting them myself, but then I just think back to them and it just has to be real. I didn't tell you about the second dream in detail did I? She held Molly for about an hour and went to see Kristina for a while. She was so happy to see them, and I could tell that there was a difference in Molly the next morning…she knew that she'd been close to her Mama."

Jax just nodded slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "So, what's next?"

The men just looked at each other.

Nikolas sighed heavily … "Luke." He said unhappily.

--

Jax rushed in his door quickly to pack…he and Nikolas were going to fly with Luke to Greece.

"Where are my boys?" Carly asked, sitting on the couch in her pajamas.

"They are at Ric's."

"I don't want them with HIM!! What were you thinking?!" She screamed.

"Carly, look, the boys like it there; we'll have this conversation later. I have to pack."

"Where are you going?" She pouted.

"Listen, we have to talk…now. Carly, I just, you're different now." He sat down by her, "I think that we're moving too fast."

"Where are you going, JAX!?"

"I'm going to Greece with Luke and Nikolas."

"What!? Why?!"

"Stop yelling…we're going to look for Alexis and Sam. Ric and Jason are going to stay here with the kids."

"Including MY kids. I want them to come back here, Jax."

"Carly, this isn't your house. I want you to move back in to your house. Manny's dead, no one is going to be shooting at you."

"Fine! FINE! I'll go get the boys."

"No, Carly, listen, the boys are happy at Ric's. Leticia is there and so is Kristina…Carly, she's their sister."

"Who's mother is a …"

"Don't you DARE Carly! THAT is what I'm sick to DEATH of! Right there! You know that Alexis is my best friend and Robin is a great friend of mine and yet you still feel the need to belittle them and call them these horrible names in front of me, when all they've EVER done to you is call you on your CRAP! I've taken so much already, Carly, but not anymore! Move out, Michael and Morgan are with Ric and Jason…you can talk to Jason about that. The boys WANT to be there. Molly and John are there too. Carly, you haven't seen your kids in three weeks for God's sake!!"

Carly's mouth dropped open, "I was KIDNAPPED!!"

Jax's face fell, "Carly, you've been home for almost two weeks now. You haven't seen them once. Look, we're done, Carly…this is it. Now, if you don't mind…I have to pack." He stared at her until she finished pouting, got angry, and left. What was he thinking with her?!

--

"Emily?"

Emily looked up at Nikolas, "Hey."

"How are you?"

"Better than yesterday, probably worse than tomorrow."

Nikolas smiled, "Jax, Luke, and I are flying to Greece for a few days to snoop around for Alexis and Sam. I just wanted to check in with you before we left."

Emily smiled up at Nikolas, "Thank you…I'm fine."

"Any word on Sonny?"

"No. No one has any clue…he couldn't be a part of them missing could he?"

"I don't think so, but…you never know. Honestly, I haven't thought about it…he hates my aunt and she doesn't care for him too much, but…I don't know. Ric seems confident that they'll be back safe, but…I have a bad feeling."

"Nikolas, come here…"

Nikolas walked over to Emily and he let her pull him down to her face. Emily kissed him sweetly on the lips and smiled up at him after a moment.

"I love you, Nikolas. I've never stopped."

Nikolas felt the tears welling up, "What about Sonny?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I just know that I love you. Only you."

Nikolas beamed down on her, "Now I don't want to leave!"

"You have to go find Alexis and Sam." She kissed him again, "Be careful. I love you."

"I love you," Nikolas replied and walked away.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Where are my sons?!" Screamed Carly as she barged into Ric and Alexis' house.

"Carly," Leticia warned her, "The kids are napping. What's wrong?"

"I want my children…how DARE you bring them here! Leticia, you've helped me out a lot throughout my children's lives, but you can leave now…I won't be needing you anymore."

"Ha!" Leticia responded, "You say 'your kids' like you're their mother! Sure, you gave birth to them, but I am their mother day in and day out. Get out, Carly…Jason will call you."

"You little," Carly reared back and was about to slap Leticia when Ric caught her arm from behind.

"Oh come on, Carly, seriously…all you know is violence. You even respond to the truth with violence. You should have been the mob boss, not Sonny…" Ric smiled.

"Let go of me!" Ric let go, but stood in between Leticia and Carly, because Leticia looked as if she was about to pounce.

"Where are my children, Ric?"

"Morgan's asleep and I'm right here," informed Michael, who was walking towards the adults.

"Hey buddy, come on, let's get your brother and get out of here."

Michael was scared, but he said what he wanted, "Mom, I love you, but I want to live here. It's easier too, because I can just stay in this house and not go from one to the other. You can come visit and so can dad."

Jason walked in and could sense the tension. Carly looked over to him for help.

"Jason, my kids…"

"Carly, look, go home, I'll be over in a little bit. We'll talk about everything then."

This pacified Carly for the moment and she walked out in a huff, "Sorry," said Leticia.

"Don't be!" replied Ric, "that was fun! Sorry, Michael," he said looking over to the young boy, "that must have been really hard for you. You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so, I feel bad."

Ric took Michael out to the deck and they sat together, "You shouldn't feel bad for expressing the way you feel, Michael. You've been through so much, and some of it was because of me. Look, I will do anything to make sure that your life gets a little easier and more normal."

"Anything?" Michael asked.

"Well, yeah, within reason…" smiled Ric.

"Adopt me and Morgan."

--

"Lulu?" she heard on the phone.

"Yes?"

"It's Dillon…can we meet?"

"Sure, I guess, I'm over at Ric Lansing's house…"

"Why are you there?"

"Nikolas brought me. He didn't want me to stay at Wyndemere alone, and the Quartermaine's is out of the question…"

"Oh, well, can I come over? We need to talk."

"If you are going to yell and scream and say how horrible I am, I'd rather you not."

"No, it's nothing like that. I need you…I need my friend."

Lulu smiled to herself, "Okay, come on over. There's a houseful of people here…I think we've beaten the Quartermaine's as to how many people can cram into one house, except, we all seem to really like each other."

Dillon smiled, "I'll be right over." He was going to fix this. Georgie, whether she slept with Diego or not, didn't want him. He had thought a lot the night before and came to the conclusion that he really didn't want her anymore. He couldn't get Lulu off his mind. He jogged down the Quartermaine staircase and saw his mother walk out of the living room crying.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"It's…it's Luke. The plane…" Tracy was sobbing. Alice ran in to catch her as she fell.

"What about the plane?" Dillon asked. Tracy was out. Alice looked up from her tears.

"Mr. Luke's plane went down. There weren't any survivors," she told Dillon.

--

"So Mikkos just let us go? What changed his mind?" Sam asked after saying 'goodbye' to her grandfather.

"He heard our conversation this afternoon," Alexis sad sadly.

"You're sad?" Sam saw that Alexis was different.

"Yeah, a little, I mean, I want to go home more than anything, but, just thinking that I might just have said good-bye to my father forever…I'm sad."

Sam gave Alexis a small hug and assured her, "I'm sure you'll see him again. I'll kind-of miss him too."

Alexis smiled, "Let's go home!"

They walked into the train station and Sam grabbed Alexis' arm, "Wait, I'm gonna have to say no to a train, Mom. Really, the last one we were in didn't reach its destination."

Alexis looked worried herself, "Yeah, and what are the odds that I was pregnant on that one and this one?"

"You're WHAT!?" Sam was shocked.

Alexis looked at her shocked as well, "Oh my God! Samantha McCall! I didn't tell you!?"

Sam pretended to be very upset and angry for a while and walked away.

"Sam!!"

"You….okay…you!" Sam accused, stopping, turning around, and pointing at Alexis, "are sooooo mean! How could you not tell me!? We've been around each other and ONLY each other for almost two weeks and YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" The people walking by stared at Sam yelling at who they assumed was her sister.

"Okay, calm down…Sam, I'm so sorry. It's not like it slipped my mind or anything, but…we've been…busy?"

Sam started laughing, "Busy…sure, TALKING about things and getting to know each other. How could you not tell me that my little baby brother or sister is inside of you?" Sam said walking up to Alexis and bent over to talk to her stomach. "You little one, are in for a surprise." Alexis smiled and playfully swiped Sam on the shoulder as she stood up. Alexis walked past Sam to the train.

"Come on…move it…" Alexis ordered playfully, "We've got a train to catch."

When Sam caught up to her, she nudged Alexis in her side and said, "Oh…and it's Samantha Davis," She smiled at her mother and hopped onto the train. Alexis was stunned and smiled the biggest smile she'd smiled in a long time.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Ric coughed, he was chocking, "Adopt you? Michael …"

"Yeah, I mean, we're already related, well, sort of, I don't know, I guess it's stupid."

"No, Michael, it's not stupid! Look, when Alexis gets back, we'll talk about it, okay? If nothing else, you and Morgan can just live with your Uncle Ric and Aunt Alexis, alright?"

"Okay, well, I'm going to go see what Kristina's doing. Thanks … Uncle Ric."

Ric smiled at the boy, "You're very welcome, and Michael …" Ric stopped him as he reached the front door. Michael looked back with a smile on his face, "You know that you can always talk to me, right? About anything? You and Morgan have me and Alexis forever, okay?"

Michael's smile grew. He nodded and ran off to tell his little sister that he was moving in for good.

Ric watched and smiled. Michael was a good kid. He wanted him to grow up feeling loved and supported. Ric's thoughts drifted to Carly. She was going to be hell to deal with. Maybe Jason could help calm her down some, but Ric really needed Alexis. Ric walked inside and joined Jason in the living room. The two men just sat there, like the past two weeks, and waited.

--

"Dillon, you need to get a hold of Lucky so he can tell Lulu. I think she needs to find out from him about her brother and father. My God, this is going to be so hard for her." Edward rambled to Dillon after they made sure that Tracy was asleep, very highly medicated, upstairs.

Dillon just nodded and dialed the phone, not Lucky's, but the hospitals. He didn't want to tell Lucky, so he called Liz.

--

"Lulu, did you get enough to eat?" Ric asked politely.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Lansing."

Ric smiled, "Call me Ric, I'm not that old yet."

Lulu smiled back. Dillon had called her and said that something came up and he'd be by later, "I feel weird staying in Sam's room," Lulu blurted out to Ric and Jason, who were the only people with her at the dining table. Jason just looked at her then looked away.

Ric assured her, "It's okay. I'm sure she wouldn't mind, Lulu."

Lulu smiled politely and started clearing off the table. Jason walked out without saying a word. Ric noticed how distant he was and followed, telling Lulu first that she didn't need to worry with the clean-up, he'd do it later. Lulu went to Sam's room and got online, which is where she spent most of her time when the kids were asleep.

"Jason, are you okay?"

Jason looked up at Ric who had walked in the living room, "Yeah, just tired … sick of all of this."

Ric stated genuinely, "I'm sorry, you don't have to stay here with me and the kids Jason, if you have business …"

"I gave the business up, Ric."

Ric's eyes widened in shock, "What!? When?"

"Right after Sam was taken. I gave it all to Alcazar, who by the way, is getting out, too. He has better dealings with the other families, so he accepted my part in order to give it all up … I guess in a full package deal. I'm out. So is Sonny. So is Alcazar. It's gonna be a lot different in this town now."

"I'll say. I can't wait to tell Alexis."

"How can you be so positive about this Ric? I mean, sure, they told us they'd be back, but what if they were just telling us what we want to hear? What if …"

Jason looked over at Ric, who was staring outside, with a shocked expression on his face. He had grown deathly pale and his eyes were wide. His jaw dropped open and he wasn't breathing.

"Ric!?"

"Jason … do you see them?"

Jason looked out the door … and smiled.

--

Two minutes earlier …

"Here we go … eeeeee!!" screeched Sam as they walked up from the taxi to the front porch of the house. She was so very nervous, "I feel like we've been gone for a year!"

Alexis nodded and breathed in deep. She blew out as they walked up the steps to the front door, "Sam," she whispered, "There's Jason." They looked through the glass at Jason sitting on the couch and Ric walking in. Alexis' heart skipped when she saw her husband. She took Sam's hand. Sam didn't move, neither did Alexis. They wanted their guys to see them first. Their smiles were so big and they were giggling quietly. After Ric said a few things to Jason and Jason responded, Alexis caught Ric's eye. Her smile grew and the dimples were out. Tears immediately came to her eyes.

"Viola! Leticia! Wake up the kids!!" Jason screamed as he ran to the door. Ric just sat there, his eyes locked on Alexis', who didn't move either, even when Sam pulled her hand. Sam gave up on waking Alexis from her daze and ran to Jason. She practically knocked him to the floor, "Oh my God, JASON!!" They hugged and kissed and kissed and hugged. Sam looked back at Alexis, who was still standing, smiling, staring into her step-father's eyes. Jason looked over at Ric, confused as to why he was still sitting, although there was a smile on his face now.

Alexis walked past Jason and Sam and through the front door. She stood on top of the three small steps in their living room. Ric slowly rose from the couch, not taking his eyes off of hers. He walked over and stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking up at his wife. Time was moving slow.

"Alexis?"

"Ric."

"You're really here?" He whispered, tears forming.

Alexis nodded, "Yes, we're really here." Her hand moved to her stomach.

"Finally!" He exclaimed as she fell into his arms and into the sweetest kiss they'd ever experienced together. Alexis kissed Ric back to the couch and crawled on top of him as he sat, never once breaking the kiss. She ended their first kiss and continued to kiss him all over the face. Her hands were holding his head and she was straddling him playfully. Jason and Sam watched and laughed. Sam was so very happy for her mother.

"MOMMY!!" Kristina screamed louder than she ever had before and ran over to her mother.

Before Kristina reached her, Alexis whispered in Ric's ear, "I'll finish this later." Ric smiled and let her up, knowing he was no competition for Kristina and Molly. Kristina jumped into Alexis' arms and squeezed her mother tight. She was crying in her mommy's hair when she said, "I'm not letting go of you again."

Alexis hugged her daughter tight and then leaned back to look at her. The two girls who were being watched by everyone in the house only saw each other.

With the tears streaming down her face, Alexis whispered to Kristina, "I'm so sorry." She said this over and over again until Viola walked up with Molly. Alexis managed to put Kristina on her right side and Molly on her left, with Ric's help…she held her two youngest daughters. "Never again my darlin's…never again will I leave you." Alexis looked over at Sam, who was watching, smiling, with Jason's arms wrapped around her from behind. The two women shared that look…that look which only they knew what was meant by it. It was an understanding that this family would never again be broken apart.

--

Mac wiped the tears from his eyes and walked towards room 434 at General Hospital. He had just been with Lucky, Elizabeth, and Emily when they found out the news that Luke, Nikolas, and Jax were dead. Mac had come to check up on a patient who was to be immediately transferred to lock up, but instead, ran into Lucky when Dillon was telling him the news. Mac thought to himself, 'what else can this town take?' he reminded himself to call his brother and patch things up after this visit with this woman who he didn't want to see. Mac nodded at the two policemen stationed outside of the room and walked into the room to see Helena, obviously angry, in the bed before him.

"When am I getting out of here, Commissioner?"

"Mrs. Cassadine, right now I would say something sarcastic to you, but it's not appropriate. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have some bad news." He was truly sad. Not for her, but for everyone else.

Helena looked up at him, with an expression that Mac would have never seen before, had it not been for that little incident with Alexis in the interrogation room weeks ago. Fear. Helena was afraid of what he was about to tell her. Mac Scorpio would not be so polite to her if it weren't important.

"Nikolas was involved in a plane crash that … that had no survivors."

Helena just stared at the handsome man in front of her. She couldn't show any emotion in front of this man.

She got angry, "Who did it? It was his private jet? Who sabotaged it?"

"No, Mrs. Cassadine, Nikolas was traveling on a regular plane with Luke Spencer and Jasper Jacks. They were heading to Greece to search for Ale…"

"Alexis. That little…she did this…this is her fault."

Mac just shook his head, "I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Cassadine, but Alexis had nothing to do with this. You can't blame this on her. This is a tragedy that …"

"Shut up, Commissioner. Get out of my room. NOW!" Here was the Helena Cassadine he knew and quote unquote loved. Mac shrugged his shoulders and left quietly.

Helena sat there, thinking of what she could possibly do next …


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Mommy, don't leave. No!" Kristina cried after Alexis tucked her in and stood up.

Alexis sat back down by Kristina on the bed and ran her hand through her hair, "Okay, baby … I'll stay here until you fall asleep, then I have to go put Molly down and see Daddy Ric okay?"

Kristina pouted, "You won't leave me again?"

"No, baby." Alexis crawled in next to Kristina and wrapped her in her arms. Ric walked in the dark room holding Molly in his arms and smiled at the site in front of him. Alexis was singing softly to the sleeping Kristina in her arms. She looked up at Ric and Molly and smiled. She was finally home.

--

"I gave the business up to Alcazar, Sam," Jason told Sam as the elevator closed on the bottom floor of their building. Sam looked at him surprised.

"Is that what you wanted Jason? You love …"

"I love you. I want you to have a life with me. A life, Sam. I want you to live and not have the fear of being shot or kidnapped because of my life. This was my decision."

Sam wrapped her arms around his neck, "Well, what are you going to do now?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea." They laughed.

Jason led Sam into their penthouse and turned to kiss her as soon as she closed the door, "I've missed you so much."

She smiled up at him, "Me, too."

After two hours of fooling around and making love on the couch, Jason started a fire as Sam went to get some food from the kitchen. When she came back into the living room, Jason was on his knees, "Sam, marry me." Sam put the food down on the pool table and ran to Jason. They embraced as Sam said, "Yes! Finally, of course!" she looked back at him and asked. "When? Tomorrow? Okay!" They laughed together.

"Whenever you want."

"Ooooh! I can't wait to tell Mom!!" Sam smiled a huge smile.

Jason smiled for her, "You and Alexis are close now?"

"Yes. We're still, you know, getting to know each other, but I never thought …" her smiled faded.

They sat down on the couch together, "What Sam?"

"She's so funny, Jason. She's such a wonderful mother and, I never thought, I never thought that I'd have that."

"I'm happy for you. I am, and you should know that Ric and I have, well, we've reached an agreement."

"You're friends." Sam said, smiling.

Jason smiled back, "I guess so. It'll help too when I want to get on the good side of my mother-in-law, you know, to have my step-father-in-law on my side," he said as he tickled her back on the couch until they heard a frantic knock on the door.

"Ignore it," Jason said before pulling Sam into a kiss.

"No Jason," she said pushing him up. She stood up and walked to the door, "Silly." She smiled back at him before opening the door to the last person she wanted to see.

"Jason … oh, Sam! Sam! You're home! That's great! Jason …" Carly said without feeling as she bounded into the penthouse.

"Carly! We don't …"

"Listen, Sam, not right now, Jax is dead!" Carly said as she walked briskly to Jason and wrapped her arms around his waste.

Sam stood there, stunned, "Wha…what did you say?"

Carly wiped the tears from her face which were steadily pouring, "Luke, Nikolas, and Jax were in a plane crash." She looked up at Jason, "They're all dead … Jason?"

Jason hugged Carly and looked over at Sam.

"Nikolas?" Was all Sam could say.

"Yes, Nikolas!! And my uncle Luke, and Jax, the best thing that ever happened to me!" Jason sat Carly down on the couch.

Sam felt lightheaded. Luke. Jax. Nikolas. She picked up the phone and called her mother.

--

"She so beautiful." Alexis smiled down at Molly sleeping in her crib. Ric's arms were around her waist from behind and he squeezed her.

"Just like her mother," he said as he kissed the side of her neck. Alexis tilted her head to the side to give him better access. After a while of watching their daughter, they walked hand in hand to their room. As soon as Ric closed the door, Alexis jumped him. He turned her against the door and leaned against her, kissing down her neck.

They were moving fast and with only one purpose. They would go slow later, "Oh God, Ric," Alexis moaned as he moved down her body, shedding her clothes as he went.

Ric stood up, staring at her, not knowing what he wanted to do next, "I've never wanted you so badly, Alexis …" he said before he brought her into a deep, wet kiss.

They fell back on the bed together and she quickly undressed him, crawling on top of him … then, the phone rang.

"Why do we have a phone in here?" Alexis whined as Ric turned over to grab it, before it woke anyone up. Alexis fell back and pulled the covers up to her face.

"Hello?"

"What?! Sam, are you sure? Wha…? Yeah, come over. Be careful, okay."

"Is she okay?" Alexis panicked.

"Sam's fine, she'll be over in a minute."

"What did she say?" Alexis asked. Ric just looked at her, she was gorgeous. She was happy. That was all about to end. She wouldn't be happy for a while. He couldn't tell her, not now.

"She'll be here in a minute. Come on, let's get dressed," he said as he leaned down to claim her mouth once more.

"Dressed? We have time …" she smiled seductively.

God, Ric wanted to, but he couldn't. There was no way now.

"No, baby … come on, we need to get Lulu, too."

"Lulu? She's asleep."

"Come on," Ric said one last time as he stood and dressed.

Alexis was confused, but she complied, dressing herself quickly and walking into the living room to meet Lulu and Ric.

There was a knock at the door, but it wasn't Sam, it was Lucky, Liz, and Emily.

Lucky walked in and went straight to Lulu. He wrapped his arms around her and cried.

"Lucky?" Was all she could say.

--

Sam walked in to see and hear the sorrow that spread throughout the house. Lulu and Lucky were wrapped up together on the couch. Lulu was sobbing uncontrollably. Elizabeth was on her other side comforting her. Sam heard the commotion at the back of the house. Ric and Emily were beating on the door to Alexis' room, telling her to open it.

"Alexis, please, baby, open the door! Please."

"Alexis, come on, let us in," chimed in Emily.

Sam looked sympathetically at Liz and then walked quickly to the back of the house. What she heard come out of Alexis' room broke her heart. Glass breaking, loud thuds, Alexis was destroying the room.

"NO!! Leave me alone … PLEASE! No ... No ... No … Nikolas, Jax, Luke, no my God … no!" She stopped destroying the room and just fell on the bed. Alexis laid there listening to Ric and Emily plead for her to open the door. When Lucky said those words, Alexis couldn't think. She ran to her room, locked the door, and sunk to the floor. She let the tears fall and just, sat. Then, she got angry. They were looking for her. This was her fault. Alexis thought back to every moment she spent with Nikolas as he grew, every fake kiss with Jax, ever time she laughed with Luke, and she stood up … she went straight for the vase on her dresser and threw it across the room. Sonny had something right; it felt good to destroy things. She continued with everything on each dresser and nightstand … then she went for the big furniture. She tipped over what she could and punched and kicked until she cried out in pain. She heard them yelling for her outside, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Something took her over and it would never give it back. She laid on the bed and hugged her pillow close. She deserved to be alone. The tears wouldn't stop and the sobs continued. Ric and Emily grew quiet, and she heard the soft voice on the other side of the door.

"Alexis? Mom?! Please …"

Alexis got up and ran to the door, swung it open, and enveloped herself into her daughter's arms.

Sam watched as her mother flung open the door and met her embrace head on. Alexis crumbled to the floor once in Sam's arms and they sat there together, holding each other.

Alexis couldn't speak, the sobs controlling her mind. All she could see were their faces. Nikolas smiling at her at Wyndemere, Jax laughing at her on the docks, Luke … in a jail cell looking up at her, smiling.

Ric leaned down and ran his hand through Alexis' hair, the tears falling down his face as well. Emily sunk down to the floor, watching them. She knew that these people … their worlds … would never be the same.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Ric carried Alexis to the bed. Sam went to make some tea for everyone. It looked like everyone was going to stay the night. Lucky, Liz, and Emily were all on the couch, sitting silently, comforting the person who started to cry first. Lulu made her way outside to sit on the deck watching the water. She wanted time alone. The kids never woke up, or they did and Viola, Leticia, and Colleen put them back down.

Ric lay in front of Alexis on the bed and brought his hands up to her face. She hadn't said a word since she opened the door. She cried, sobbed, and winced in pain.

Her toes hurt, her knuckles hurt, her heart hurt. She knew the physical pain would eventually go away. She felt like a child for punching and kicking everything she could find. She knew the physical pain would die down, but not her heart. It was broken.

"I love you," Ric whispered over and over into her hair, trying to lure her to sleep in his arms…but he didn't know that she couldn't sleep. No matter how tired and physically drained, their faces showed up to her when she closed her eyes.

"Ric?" Alexis looked up at him, the tears streaming, "I can't do this." It was all she said as she cried into his chest more. Sam walked in with two cups of tea and sat it down on the nightstand behind Ric. She walked out again. Her mother needed Ric right now.

She paused at the doorway and looked back at them, "You can do this … Mom. You have all of us here. I didn't know Nikolas as much as I should have, but I want to have you forever to tell me about him. I need you. I … I love you." She walked out to go check on the kids. They were all sleeping except for John. She rocked John back to sleep in the chair by his crib. Her heart went out to this baby who lost both his mother and father before he could even get to know them.

Alexis listened to Sam and she got it, but she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear that she had to be strong again. She wanted to be the one who people took care of for once in her life. She wanted to go through life without a worry in the world, but she knew that was impossible. She brought this all on herself. Her sister, her brother, her nephew. If she would've been stronger. If she hadn't had done things, if she had done things, it would all be different.

"You can't blame yourself, sweetheart. Look at me."

Alexis pulled away and tried to turn over.

"No, Alexis! Look at me!" Ric didn't mean to yell, but he had to be forceful right now..

She turned her face toward him angrily, "Ric, I love you, you know that. I know that you're going to say that it's not my fault and that blah, blah everything's going to be fine, but IT WON'T!!" She screamed the last few words and stood up from the bed.

Ric just sat and watched her. This is what she needed.

"IT WON'T GET BETTER!!" She breathed and calmed down a little, "For any of us. John has no parents. I have no nephew or best friend!. Kristina has no cousin or uncle Jax! Molly and Sam will never know Nikolas! Jane lost her son today. Lucky and Lulu lost their father AND brother! HOW can you say it will get better?"

Alexis looked off for a minute thinking, "Lulu … where is she?"

Ric shrugged, "I don't know, but listen." He got up and walked to her, "Listen, you are the strongest person I know. Yes, I know that it still sends a pain through your heart when you think about your mother, brother, and sister. It's been years, but you've moved on. You survived. I know you don't want to hear this Alexis, but … you'll … survive this, too."

Alexis just looked at him … entirely helpless.

"You can break down, Alexis, you have every right to! You just lost your friend, your best friend, and your nephew, who was like a son to you. You can cry and scream and throw a tantrum, but then you know you have to pull it together and be there as strength for Sam, Kristina, Molly, John, Lulu, and everyone else."

"I'm just so tired. I'm tired of being that to everyone!"

"I know. So I'll be that strength for you. I'll be yours, and you'll be theirs."

Alexis just looked up at Ric's face and after a moment, nodded.

"Where's Lulu?"

"Come on, let's find out."

They walked into the living room and Alexis could barely take seeing Liz, Lucky, and Emily on the couch together. Ric asked about Lulu and they pointed to the deck. Alexis took Ric's hand and smiled sadly up at him, "I need to do this alone. Thank you, Ric … I … I do need you … to be my strength."

Ric kissed her sweetly on the lips and let her go. He went back into Kristina's room, which was also Michael and Morgan's room for the time being and got his own dose of strength.

"Lulu?" Alexis said, closing the door behind her.

Lulu just sat facing away at the water.

"May I sit?"

Lulu looked back at her and then away, "It's your house," she said sadly.

Alexis sat down by Lulu and they watched the lake for a while.

"I loved your father. I loved Nikolas," said Alexis, not knowing what exactly to say.

Lulu nodded, letting the tears fall.

"This is a blow for everyone. You, more than most."

Lulu nodded again.

"I'm so sorry, Lulu …"

Lulu interrupted her with a sob and then by leaning her head in Alexis' lap, hugging Alexis' legs tight.

Alexis cried too and softly ran her hands through the young girl's hair.

"This isn't fair! Why did this happen?! God! Yeah … GOD! I hate Him!! What did any of us do to deserve this!!"

"Sweetie, don't hate God. I know it's not fair. You should see my room. I destroyed everything, but you can't blame God."

"Then who? Who do I blame?" Lulu leaned her head around and looked up Alexis.

Alexis frowned and wiped the tears from Lulu's cheeks, "Blame me."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"Blame you?"

"Blame me. They were on that plane because of me."

Lulu sat up and looked at Alexis. She shook her head, "Did you make the plane crash?"

"No."

"Then, no, I won't blame you." She laid her head back down on Alexis' lap.

"Lulu, I …"

"Let's just not talk. Okay?"

"Okay." Alexis sat there, running her hand through Lulu's hair, listening to her cry for her family.

Sam walked through the living room, picking up empty coffee mugs and bringing them back to the kitchen. She brought a blanket to put on Liz, Lucky, and Emily, who eventually succumbed to exhaustion and were huddled together on the couch. She walked back into the kid's rooms to check on the sleeping Molly, John, and Morgan, then went into Kristina and Michael's room. Ric was on Kristina's bed with Kristina on his right and Michael on his left, all sound asleep. Sam stood there smiling sadly at the sight and moved to cover them up with the comforter on the other bed in the room. She turned off the light and slowly walked back into the living room. She knew that Alexis had gone to see Lulu outside, and that they needed to be alone for a while, but she was the tiniest bit jealous, so she walked out to see them. Lulu's head was on Alexis' lap and she was sleeping comfortably. Alexis just stared out at the water. She looked tired. It was almost morning. The sun was peaking up through the trees and it was beautiful. Sam walked over to the edge to where Alexis would know that she was there and she looked out onto the lake for another moment. She was tired too. She turned and leaned against the railing, facing Alexis and Lulu. From where Alexis sat, Sam looked like an angel. It was dark everywhere except behind Sam, who was covering the sun.

"I love you," Alexis mouthed, letting no sound escape her lips, she didn't want to wake Lulu.

"I love you, Mom." Sam did the same, remaining quiet. She walked toward them and leaned down to kiss Alexis on the forehead. Alexis' free hand took one of Sam's and she brought it up to her lips and kissed it, lightly squeezing it until she returned it to Sam. Sam walked back inside, walked back to Alexis' room, crawled into her bed, and fell asleep.

Alexis watched the sunrise with Lulu sleeping.

"Nikolas. Jax. Luke." She whispered slowly and let the tears fall.

--

One week later …

"Bobbie …"

"Alexis …" the two women embraced.

"You did a wonderful job, Bobbie, it looks fantastic."

"Luke would've hated it."

"Luke wouldn't have come."

Bobbie smiled at Alexis, "Are you going to speak?"

"Yes, I will if you need me too."

"I can't do it. Not for all three. Not for any one. I'm not…"

"I know. I'll do it. Don't worry. You've done so much. You know that Nikolas adored you. As did your brother, and Jax."

Bobbie nodded sadly. "You too, Alexis."

Alexis smiled and gave Bobbie another hug, before finding Ric and Sam seated near the front.

Bobbie took charge of the memorial service for the three men and decided to do it outside. Alexis couldn't help but noticing how much it looked like Kristina's memorial. White chairs, beautiful flowers. One more memorial service. No. Three. Alexis let the tears slide down her face. Ric's hand found hers and he intertwined their fingers. Sam's right arm was around Alexis' shoulders and her left hand was holding Jason's hand that was on the other side.

Alexis looked over to see Emily, Liz, Lulu, Lucky, and their family to their right. She saw Lorenzo Alcazar sitting next to his son and Georgie Jones. Dillon was sitting one row behind Lulu, with Tracy, Ned, Skye, and Edward to his right. Tracy looked out of it, but not as much as Alice, who was steadily crying on the right. Alexis looked around more and saw everyone. Jane, Carly, and Bobbie were seated behind Alexis, along with Michael and Sonny, who they found wandering the streets a week ago. He was admitted to Shadybrooke again and Alexis heard that the sessions with Dr. Winters were going good. She saw Dr. Drake, both of them, Anna, Mac, Felicia, Maxie, Robin, then…her eyes fell on Robert. At the same moment, his eyes locked with hers. Alexis looked over to Sam for a split second and then back to Robert, as if to say, "Look what we did." Robert gave Alexis a small smile and nodded. She smiled back and squeezed Sam's hand. She knew she had to tell her, but the time wasn't quite right.

After the priest recited a few quotes from the Bible, Alexis stood up to speak. She didn't want to, because she knew that she wouldn't make it through it without crying ridiculously, but she had to. It was her role. The strong one.

Before speaking, she looked at everyone again. Taking her time. At the end, her eyes focusing on Lulu's in the front row.

Alexis took a deep breath, and started, "I'm going to miss Luke calling me 'Natasha'." There were some smiles, including Lulu.

"These three men: Luke Spencer, Jasper Jacks, and….Ni…Nikolas Cassadine, were all members of our family. We are one, big, dysfunctional family…this town…and we lost three amazing members. Luke…" Alexis smiled through her tears, "He knew how to get to you." She looked at Tracy, then Big Alice, "He loved everyone here. Lucky, Lulu, although he went off on his adventures, I know he thought of you along the way."

"Ja…Jasper Jacks…Jax. My husband. Sorry, Ric." She looked over at Ric who smiled at her. "He was my bes….best friend. Jane, you did such a wonderful job raising that boy. He was…the light of my life for a while." Alexis looked over at Ned, "He was the light of a lot of our lives." Ned smiled at her, giving her strength for what was next.

"And then, Nikolas." She raised her hand to hold back the sob she felt coming…pulling her strength back together a moment later, she continued, "Man, he…he was so proper wasn't he?" She looked at Emily and Liz, who laughed. "But you three…Emily, Lucky, Liz…you changed him. You showed him how to live…and love. Thank you for that. He was my son. Not technically, not by birth, but in my heart, he was my son. And he had a son. John. John's not even a year old and both his mother and father are gone."

She slowly looked around at everyone once more, "There's just one thing I need to ask all of you to do. It's not hard, not difficult, it might hurt, but it has to be done. You see, I'm pregnant. This baby will never know his or her three uncles. Neither will my youngest daughter Molly, or her cousin Morgan. Kristina might forget. Skye, your child will need to hear the stories of the amazingly funny Luke Spencer. Liz, Cameron needs to know about Luke and Nikolas, and how much they loved him. Sam, my oldest daughter, didn't get to become close with her cousin, so we need to help her know him." Alexis looked at Sam and smiled. She then looked down. She focused on the flower arrangement in front of her. "And…" this was the hardest. "And John. John needs…" she couldn't do it. She couldn't finish. She looked back up to Sam…then Ric. She found her strength in him, "John needs to know his father. His mother. Jax. Even Luke. We can say goodbye to these men and go on living our lives day to day…but we can't forget those who didn't know them. Who weren't blessed by their time on this earth. I challenge everyone here today to remember these men…our guys…" she smiled at Tracy, Bobbie, Lulu, "our guys…and talk about them with those who didn't know." Alexis wiped the tears and headed back to her seat. She let her head fall on Ric's shoulder and he kissed the top of her head, "Baby, that was beautiful." He whispered. Alexis just cried, holding on to her strength.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

One week later…

"Are you sure you want to quit?" Ric asked Alexis over breakfast.

Alexis looked around the table. Kristina and Michael were feeding Molly in her high chair, Viola watching closely. Colleen was feeding John. Leticia was trying to get Morgan to stop playing with his eggs. Lulu was pushing food around on her plate, watching Morgan. Sam and Jason were trying to not be noticed throwing bacon back and forth at each other, and Ric was watching Alexis intently.

Alexis smiled back at Ric, "Yeah. I want to spend more time here. The mayor was working my last nerve anyway before, so…"

"But you loved it."

"I did, but I love it more here. Plus, working with my husband again has some benefits."

Ric smiled and leaned over, kissing Alexis softly on the lips, not pulling back for a while. Alexis lingered too and kissed him back.

"Ewwww," Sam exclaimed, getting Morgan, Kristina, Michael, Jason, and Lulu to join along.

Ric kissed her one last time and smiled at the others.

"Okay, so…what are we going to do today? It's Saturday…Sam, Jason, do you have to work?" Alexis asked.

Alexis had pulled some strings and got Sam a job at the P.C.P.D. Jason was working construction down at the docks. It wasn't as exciting as his old life by any means, but it brought in the money. He didn't know why he still owned the penthouse, he and Sam only slept there about once a week when they needed 'alone time' and usually Carly would burst in, interrupting them. All other nights were spent at their second home, her mother's, with some nights leaving Jason alone in bed and Ric on the couch so Sam could be with her Mom.

"Nope. Jason?" Sam replied, looking at her fiancé.

"No. Off all day…" he said, tickling Morgan.

"Great…so, let's do something. All of us. Lulu, you choose what we do."

Lulu snapped her head up to look at Alexis. For the past week, this woman became her mother, sister, best friend…

"Why me? I don't know!" She whined.

"Come on! The zoo? A museum..." Alexis asked.

Everyone groaned at the museum idea.

"Fine," Alexis pouted.

Now everyone was smiling.

"Honey, only you think the museum is fun," Ric joked.

Kristina chimed in, "Hey! I…"

"Don't finish that Kristina," Ric joked to the clone of Alexis. Kristina loved the museum.

Lulu thought for a moment. She looked over at Sam, then Jason, and smiled, "Okay…I have to say, I'd like to see Jason on skates. Let's go skating!!"

Jason looked scared and jerked his head toward Alexis.

"No."

Alexis smiled at Jason, "Yes."

"Aw, man!" Jason complained.

"YAY!!" Kristina, Michael, and Morgan screamed excitedly.

"Quit whining, Jason, let's get ready," Alexis ordered.

Alexis and Ric cleared the table as Lulu, Sam, and Jason went to their perspective rooms to change and get ready. Leticia, Viola, and Colleen took the babies to get them ready.

"Skating Alexis? Really? Do you even know how?"

"Well, I don't have to use the…the one's with four wheels down the middle of the skate do I?

"No, they have the four spread out. Does anyone go skating anymore? What are they called? I forgot."

"Roller blades," answered someone from the door.

"Oh, hi Tom. What are you doing here?" Alexis asked their colleague who was watching them clear the table.

"Your daughter let me in. I have these for you." He held out three files to Alexis.

Her face dropped, "Oh, thanks…I could've come to pick them up."

"No problem. Have fun skating! Take your time with the files…no rush."

Alexis nodded, "Thanks Tom."

When they were alone, Alexis sat down and held the files to her chest. Ric sat across from her and reached for her hand.

"You okay?" He asked sweetly.

"Yeah. This just…finalizes everything. It's like, if I never saw these, if I didn't have to do this, they'd still be alive somehow."

Ric just looked at her and squeezed her hand. She started opening the first file…

"Here we go," she sighed.

"What's that?" asked Lulu, walking in the dining room.

Alexis looked at Ric, asking him what to say with her eyes.

He nodded.

"These are Nikolas', Jax's, and Luke's papers. These are their wills and…"

"Okay, I don't want to know…" Lulu said, putting her hands up, turning, and walking out.

Alexis sighed, "I don't know…"

"I know. You've never raised a teenager. You know that she's hurting. You'll talk to her later?"

"Yeah. Ric, you have realized that we have nine kids now, right?" She grinned.

Ric looked at her as if she'd grown two heads, "Oh my God."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him, whispering, "Breathe."

She stood up and went to her office to open the files. She turned when she reached the door and heard him listing off names, counting with his fingers… "Sam, Lulu, Michael, Kristina, Morgan, Molly, John…" he looked back at her confused.

"Jason, and…" she placed her hand on her belly, which was growing every day.

He smiled at her, "Nine kids."

She laughed and went to her office.

Alexis looked up as she saw Ric in the doorway, "Nikolas and Jax left everything to me. Ric…everything," she said, amazed.

Ric walked in to Alexis' study and put his hand on her legs, kneeling in front of her chair.

"Wow."

She just looked at him, tears in her eyes, "Wow is right. Why didn't Jax leave everything to his fiancé?"

"Fiancé?"

"Carly. She told Jason that Jax proposed right after the kidnapping."

Ric shook his head, "I don't know. He hadn't updated it for years, look, three years ago?"

Alexis just sighed and leaned her head back on the chair, "Nikolas left me instructions as to the trust funds for Lulu and John. He left Lucky whatever he wanted from the house and some money, Ric, Nikolas wanted me to raise John. Everything, Wyndemere, the Cassadine accounts, everything, he left to me."

"Alexis, you are the only Cassadine left."

"No, there's Helena, and Mi…me…and John."

Ric nodded, "Don't worry about Helena. They transferred her to Pentonville last week, after she…healed." He smiled at her.

Alexis smiled softly back, "Luke spread his out to Bobbie, Lucky, and Lulu."

"We figured."

"Yeah. I hate this."

"I know."

"I was each one's lawyer. I hate them for doing this to me, baby. They all died together, and…" Alexis wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"I know." Ric interrupted. "I know its hard, honey, but just remember…"

"What?" She snapped at him, not meaning to.

"I…I don't know."

Alexis smiled sadly down at her husband, placing the files on her desk. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself to the floor in front of him.

"I love you," She stated, staring into his eyes.

"I love you more." He replied, before brushing his lips against hers once more.

--

Four hours later…

The happy family walked through the front door and spread out throughout the house.

"I can't believe Jason can't skate! Four times..." joked Lulu.

"Three," corrected Jason.

"I don't care what you say, Jason, you fell four times!"

"I'm not counting the time I took Ric with me and he broke my fall…sorry about that," he apologized looking back at Ric who was rubbing his neck.

"No problem. Any time man," replied Ric, pouting as he sat on the couch trying to get the crick out of his neck.

"Awe, sweetheart, I'll help you out with that in a minute. Let me get the kids situated," Alexis said with John on her right hip and Molly on her left. Alexis, Viola, Leticia, and Colleen took all five kids to their wing of the house. Jason and Sam were destroying the kitchen, supposedly making dinner. Lulu was sitting on the seat across from Ric, feeling restless. When Alexis walked in, she looked to Lulu.

"You okay?" She questioned, concerned.

Lulu looked up, "Yeah, yeah, I just…can I go out tonight?"

"Sure, I don't see why not. With Dillon?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, where?"

Lulu shrugged, "I dunno." She stood to go to her room and get ready.

Alexis stopped her and gave her a look.

Lulu complained, "I don't know, Alexis! The movies, probably."

"Okay, calm down…find out where, and let me know…please," she added.

Lulu sighed and walked out, "Oookay." She went to call Dillon.

Ric was still pouting, rubbing his neck. Alexis pushed him up and crawled in behind him on the couch, wrapping her legs around him, moving his hands from his neck and gently rubbing it herself, "You're such a baby."

"It hurt … it still hurts."

"You fell on the grass, Ric."

"It was hard. And Jason's not the lightest person to have fall on top of you."

"Awe, baby …" Alexis said, kissing his neck, moving up to his ear. She sucked on his earlobe for a moment and bit it playfully. Ric's hands were traveling up her legs that were wrapped around him from behind. He surprised her when he turned quickly and pinned her against the back of the couch, quickly getting what he wanted. Her neck. He assaulted her neck with tiny wet kisses and enjoyed hearing her moan softly.

"Get a room," complained Sam as she walked through the living room, smiling, to answer the doorbell that her mother and Ric obviously didn't hear. They looked up at her smiling. Sam opened the door, and was surprised to see Lorenzo Alcazar smiling back at her, "Hello, Sam…is Ale…" he stopped himself when he saw Alexis.

She was still under Ric on the couch, looking over at the door, "Mr. Alcazar, come in," greeted Alexis, "Baby, get off." She pushed Ric back.

"Noooo," whined Ric.

"Ugh," she grunted, pushing harder, "come on, later," she whispered, succeeding in pushing him to the side.

"Alcazar," Ric greeted Lorenzo, upset to have been so rudely interrupted.

"Mr. Lansing. Sorry to barge in, but I was wondering, Mrs. Lansing, if I could have a word with you."

"It's Mrs. Davis … Alexis, and sure, follow me." She looked back at Ric, scolding him with her eyes. He was so rude.

Ric winced when she corrected Alcazar with her last name. Sam sat down on the chair opposite him, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm hungry."

"Please, you've been pouting all day. What's wrong?" She asked … she had to pick on him. She had never seen Ric be such a whiny baby.

Ric looked at Sam, "Do you think that you can handle things here for a few days, maybe a week?"

Sam's eyes widened, "Well, I guess. I mean, we have a lot of kids now." She laughed.

"I need a vacation with my wife. Alone."

"Yeah, I agree. You do. Why don't you and Mom take the penthouse for a few nights?"

"That's nice, Sam, really, but…I was kind-of thinking, days. Days, nights, mornings, afternoons…again and again…"

"Okay, I really don't need to hear about your sex life," Sam quickly interrupted, throwing her hands up.

"Right, so?"

Sam sighed, "Sure, I mean, Kristina, Michael, and Morgan are suppose to visit Sonny's this weekend…"

"Does Alexis know that?"

"Yeessss. And Lulu was invited to stay with Liz for a few nights while Lucky was on assignment."

"So it'd be just you, Jason, John, and Molly."

"Yeah. That sounds fine, Ric…where are you going to take her?" Sam smiled.

"To bed," replied Ric, very seriously.

"Ewe. Ewe! Ugh, God Ric! I don't need to hear that …" she complained, walking out, still smiling though.

"It's not that disgusting!"

"What's not that disgusting?" Lulu questioned, walking in the living room and quickly heading toward the front door.

"Me and Al…" he stopped himself, "…never mind…so, where are ya goin'?"

Lulu rolled her eyes and looked at Ric, "Not you, too?"

"Yes me too."

"Dillon and I are going to the movies, then, we might go swimming by the boathouse at the Quartermaine's."

"Um…no."

"No?"

"No. The movies is fine, Lulu, but why don't you guys come swimming here?"

"Here?"

"Yeah."

"So you can keep an eye on me?"

"Well, I'm going to be busy later, but yeah, someone in this house will be keeping an eye on you."

She sighed and rolled her eyes once more, "Fine. Fine, we'll be here after the movie around ten."

"Okay. Thank you, Lulu."

"For what?" She looked back at Ric.

He shrugged, "For letting us know that we can trust you, for helping out with the kids. We want you to like it here."

"I do. I love it here, I just need some me time."

"Yeah, I know the feeling."

Lulu smiled and left. Ric said a little prayer for his car, which he let Lulu use from time to time.

--

"So Mr. Alcazar, how can I help you?" Alexis said nicely, sitting down at her desk in front of him.

Lorenzo took the seat opposite her and went right to it.

"I heard that you are stepping down as D.A."

"Wow."

"What?"

"News travels fast."

"Yeah, well, are you still practicing law?"

"Yes. My husband and I …"

"Great. I need a lawyer."

Alexis sit back in her chair. She eyed him warily, "Mr. Alcazar …"

"Lorenzo, please."

"Lorenzo … look, you and I aren't friends. You were there for me before and I'm grateful …"

"You said you owed me."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Crap."

"Such language."

"I have a teenager now."

"Oh." Lorenzo laughed.

"Lorenzo, you're in the mob."

"That didn't stop you with Corinthos."

"But you see, then, it was just me, now, it's me, my husband, and my NINE children."

Lorenzo smiled, "I'm out. I gave the business up."

"Really?"

"Really," he assured her, and she believed him.

Alexis lips curled up into a big smile, "Well congratulations! How may I assist you Mr. Alcazar?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

"Come on Lulu, it's Saturday night," Dillon urged.

"Yeah, but I told Alexis and Ric …"

"Come on, they won't miss you."

"Yeah. Well, they're expecting me home at ten."

"Okay, I'll take you home," Dillon complied.

"Bye!" Yelled out Georgie extremely sarcastically, who was busy flirting with Diego the entire night trying to 'get' to Dillon.

Lulu turned and stared at Georgie, then turned to her 'date', "Dillon, let's stay, give me something to drink, and make it strong."

"I'm not a custody lawyer."

"I know."

"So …"

"… but you're the best lawyer out there. You can do it."

Alexis sighed and stood up, "Skye knows that you are out of the business?"

"Yes. She doesn't care. She doesn't want me involved."

"She doesn't have a choice."

"That's what I said."

"Mr. Alcazar … Lorenzo … she has every right to protect her child …"

"But I'm not in the business anymore. That's all over. My life isn't dangerous anymore, Alexis. I gave it up for this child."

Alexis looked at him for a long minute, "Look, I'll visit Skye tomorrow and see what's going on."

"That's all I'm asking."

"Okay."

"You okay? I saw you at the memorial and …"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"If you ever need anyone …"

Alexis smiled.

"She has me," Ric interrupted, walking in the office.

Lorenzo looked over at Ric, "I apologize. Yes, she does." He looked back over and smiled his dazzling smile to Alexis, "Thank you, Mrs. Davis." He put an emphasis on 'Davis'.

"You're welcome and thank you," Alexis said, looking at Ric.

Lorenzo showed himself out.

Alexis walked toward Ric and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You're jealous." She didn't question … she stated, kissing his neck.

"No I'm not." Ric stood strong. She was weakening him though, as she traveled down his chest, "Well … maybe a little."

--

Lulu was drunk, and it was one o'clock in the morning.

"Uh oh," she said, stumbling in the living room.

Alexis and Ric were sitting on the couch in their pajamas, not looking happy. They had shifted the couch to where it was facing the front door.

Alexis stood up, shaking her head, walking over to Lulu.

"So … did you have fun?"

Lulu burst out laughing and almost fell. Alexis caught her, "Yes."

Alexis held back a smile, "Good. We'll talk tomorrow. Early. I need you to wake up at 5:30 to help me with some yard work."

Lulu's eyes widened and she laughed again. She lightly tapped Alexis' head, "You don't do yard work, Alexis!"

"I'm thinking of taking it up. See you at 5:30 sharp," Alexis replied, setting Lulu down on the seat and walking into her room. She really didn't walk into her room, so she stayed in the hallway out of sight to make sure Lulu got to bed okay.

"Uh oh," Lulu said again to Ric.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Why didn't you guys come get me at … like … ten-thirty or something when you realized I wasn't here?" She was reeeeally drunk.

"Oh, she called Alice. She knew you were okay. Alice made sure you got here safe?"

"Ha! Edward drove me!" She continued to laugh.

Ric nodded. "Lulu …"

She grew deathly serious, thinking of her father, "I don't want a lecture. I know! Look, I'm gonna get it tomorrow … and…"

"You won't remember anything I say tonight," he said calmly.

"Yeah. Okay, where's my room?" Lulu asked, stumbling off the seat. Ric stood up to help, but by the time he reached for her, Alexis was helping her up.

"Oh, hey!" Lulu smiled, hugging Alexis so tight, "I love you, Lexis."

"Awe, I love you, too, hey. Come on." Alexis laughed.

"You're laughing."

"Yes honey, I'm laughing now 'cause you're silly."

"You're not gonna' be laughing tomorrow!" Lulu sang, stumbling with Alexis holding her up, heading towards her room.

"You won't either," Alexis replied, dropping Lulu onto her bed, "I'll see you at 5:30."

Lulu grunted when she hit the bed and fell fast asleep. Alexis smiled down at the girl and tucked her in, leaning down to give her a kiss on the forehead, "Night Lulu, your father would be so proud," Alexis joked, remembering her friend.

She turned the lights off and joined Ric back in the living room.

He held his hands out to embrace her and rubbed her neck, "You didn't have to stay up, baby. You have to get up in four hours to punish her."

"Punish. I hate that. Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because she was told to be here at ten!"

"She's eighteen!"

"And she was drunk."

"Did you drink at eighteen?"

"Did you?"

"No."

"Alexis, please."

"I didn't!"

"Yeah, okay …"

Alexis was frustrated. She knew that she had to do something, but she could understand why Lulu was doing this.

"Look, what if this were Molly or Kristina or Sam?"

"Okay. Lulu's in pain, Ric. It hasn't even been a month ..."

"I know," Ric interrupted. He wanted to change the subject. As they headed to bed, he wrapped her in his arms and said, "She's going to go stay with Elizabeth and Lucky for a week, Michael, Kristina, and Morgan are going to Sonny's, and you are coming with me."

Alexis smiled up at Ric, "Where?"

"Not skiing."

She smiled even bigger, "Where?"

After they removed the pillows on their bed, Ric walked over to Alexis and wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Anywhere but here. Alone. Just me and you…for a whole week."

"You know I'm going to have to call here five times a day."

"You won't have time to call home." He kissed her and led her back to the bed.

--

"Alexis."

"Carly."

"Hi, my boys! Did you miss me?"

"Yes! Yes!" Michael and Morgan replied to their mother, with just enough enthusiasm … like Aunt Alexis told them to use.

"Kristina."

"Hi."

"Hey!" In walked Sonny, and all three kids ran as fast as they could to him.

"Daddy, guess what!? Mommy and Daddy Ric are going on vacation and they aren't bringing ME!!" Kristina tattled on her mother.

"Awe, sweetie, Mommy and," he corrected, "'UNCLE' Ric just need some time to relax. They aren't going to have any fun though without you," Sonny assured his daughter, looking up at Alexis and smiling that dimpled smile.

Alexis looked back and blushed. Oh yes she would.

"Okay babies, I love you. You be good for your Daddy and Leticia okay!"

"Love you!" Replied Michael and ran up to kiss and hug Alexis, followed soon after by Morgan.

Kristina left her father and walked sadly up to her favorite person in the entire world. Alexis bent down and picked her up, looking at her daughter's beautiful face, "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"You'll come back?"

Alexis squeezed Kristina tight, "Yes. I'll be back in one week. You'll be good, my love?"

Kristina nodded.

"Have fun, okay."

"I'll try."

"I'll call you tonight."

"Okay Mommy … have fun."

"I'll try." She kissed Kristina and put her down, letting her join her brothers in the living room.

Alexis watched the three for a moment, and then sadly turned away, to face … Carly.

"You'll be getting something from my lawyer soon."

"Wonderful," Alexis replied sarcastically.

"I want my kids back."

Sonny interjected, "Carly, go home. The kids are here with me. I said that you could come visit, but you aren't going to yell at Alexis instead. Go visit your children, or leave."

Carly's jaw dropped, "Sonny…"

"Carly. The kids are in the living room."

She brushed past him angrily.

Alexis eyed Sonny, "Why are you taking up for me?"

"I wasn't."

"Okay, whatever, thank you for taking them for the week."

"I'm the one who asked."

"Yeah, thanks anyway."

"Alexis. Are you okay?"

Alexis looked back at Sonny.

"What a question. I'm sorry," She said genuinely, "I should have asked you if you were."

"I'm okay. The therapy and medication are helping. You know that I forgot the past…what? Five? Six years?"

"Yeah, well, I was…out of town when you went missing. You remember it all now though, that's what matters."

"Ric wasn't around for me then, neither was Emily, Jason…or Carly."

"You were abandoned Sonny. I'm sor…"

"Don't apologize! I did it on my own," he said proudly, "I did it, Alexis, all of it, by myself. I didn't need my brother, or Carly and Jason, or Emily, or…you. Well, I did, but I did it anyway."

"You didn't need me."

"You would've helped."

"How?"

"Remember the jail cell?"

"How could I forget? That was probably the best conversation we've ever had."

"Yeah, I agree. I thought of you outside that jail cell talking me through it. I just imagined that you were there at Shadybrooke, talking me through it."

Alexis smiled, feeling the tears welling up, "Sonny, I wish…"

"I know." He looked at her softly and walked up to embrace her. They stayed in each others arms until Carly walked in, clearing her throat and looking like she was about to shoot fire out of her ears.

"Sonny!"

Sonny slowly backed away from Alexis and looked at Carly.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to come in here with the kids?"

"You mean with you…Carly…with you," replied Alexis, butting in, "Carly, this is why I have your children. You use them as pawns to get what you want. You never think about them…it's about who they can get you. Sonny, thank you again, Carly, I'll be waiting eagerly for a visit with your lawyer. Sonny, we'll talk more when I get back. Please, take care of OUR babies." She emphasized OUR, looking over at Carly. She headed to the living room door and said her final goodbyes, and then walked out.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-two

"Is Skye available?" Alexis asked Alice on the front porch of the Quartermaine mansion.

"She's in the living room with Ned and Edward. Come on in Mr. and Mrs. Lansing," Alice responded to Ric and Alexis. Ric had to smile when Alexis failed to correct Alice on her last name. They followed Alice into the living room to hear the arguing.

"She has to get out of bed!" Yelled Ned.

"She's in mourning," Edward responded. Skye was sitting on the couch watching the fight.

"Alexis." Ned smiled when he saw her walk in, followed by her husband.

"Hi. Please, continue. It wouldn't be a proper visit to this house without hearing an argument or two."

"It's Tracy, she won't get out of bed," Edward explained.

"It turns out, she was in love with her husband," Ned added sadly.

Alexis' face dropped. She and Tracy never really saw eye to eye, but she felt bad for her.

"What did you need, Mrs. Davis?"

"Well, Edward, I was hoping to talk to Skye," Alexis responded, looking down at Skye who was staring off into space.

Skye's attention now brought back to the people in the room, "Um, sure…let's go in the study. I'm getting a headache from all of the yelling."

Alexis followed Skye and Ric stayed behind, feeling especially uncomfortable when Monica, Alan, and Dillon joined the group.

"What do you want?" Skye leaned against the desk.

"Well, first of all, I'm sorry for attacking you when Sam was missing. I received a tip that Lorenzo knew something about Manny so I needed…"

"No apologies necessary. What else do you want?" Skye snapped.

"Well, since you're getting right to the point, Mr. Alcazar paid me a visit the other day."

"What? Why?" Skye was confused. Lorenzo hated Alexis.

"He wants to be in his child's life, Skye."

"And he came to you why?"

"He wants me to be his lawyer." Skye just stared at Alexis dumbfounded. This was new. Alexis continued, noting Skye's face, "Yeah, he wants joint custody of this child and he wanted me to represent him. I told him that I'm not a custody lawyer, but he wouldn't accept 'no' for an answer."

"Well, I'm this child's mother, and I say no."

"Skye, you can't…"

"Who the hell are you to say I can't? Didn't you keep your child from her father…"

"Oh, hmm, was that the same child that you kept from ME?" Alexis didn't mean to yell so loudly, but hey, it felt good.

"You kept me from her for a long time, Skye."

"You were crazy."

"No, I wasn't."

"Oh, but you wanted people to think that you were."

"I accidentally killed someone. They would've sent me to prison."

"Accidentally, you say that. If it was self-defense, Alexis, the jury wouldn't have sent you to prison."

"Please! You can't really think that?!" Alexis was getting angry, "Would you have believed that it was self-defense? Would anyone have? No. Look, Skye, we're off the point. I'm here representing Lorenzo Alcazar. Let's stick to that."

"Fine, I don't want him in my child's life. He's dangerous."

"He's out of the mob, Skye."

"Yeah, but not really. He is associated with dangerous people and he always will be. I can't believe you're on his side of this."

"I don't honestly know how I feel about this yet. I understand where you're coming from, but Skye, he got out of the business because of this child. He's working on making things safer."

"I don't believe that."

"Why are you being so hard-headed?"

"Because everything's a LIE! Alexis! It's all a lie!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"This is not his child."

Alexis' eyes widened.

"Wha….Skye? Who? What?" Alexis couldn't speak clearly. This was a shock to her.

"It's Luke's. I've known from the beginning," Skye looked away, ashamed.

Alexis sat down. This was just too much.

"Now if you don't mind, I need to go."

"Wait, Skye…are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know. Probably. Soon I hope, I'm just scared. He'll kill me."

"No he won't."

Skye looked at Alexis with an expression that said, "Yeah right."

"Why did you tell me?" Alexis was still in a slight state of shock.

"No one knows. Only you. I just don't want to do this anymore. With Luke gone…I just don't know."

"I know this is hard for you Skye, but you can't lead Lorenzo on like this. He thinks he has this child…"

"Please, stop with the lecture. If I had told him, he would've left me."

"And you didn't want that?"

"No. Not at the time. I thought I loved him. I don't know. I know that Luke didn't want another child and…I don't know. I just got wrapped up in the idea of having this baby. The one I always wanted…with someone."

"And now…"

"And now I'm alone. Even if I wanted to tell Luke, it's too late."

Alexis stood up and walked over to Skye who had started crying. Alexis wrapped her arms around this woman who she barely knew, didn't even like, and let her cry.

"You need to tell Lorenzo."

"I know. I will."

When Skye composed herself, Alexis released her and walked to the door. "I know that we're not friends, but if you ever need anyone…outside of this house, to talk to, I'm here. Well, not this week, but next week, I'll be back and I'll be here." She smiled.

Skye just nodded, moved by this woman standing in front of her, being nice to her. Skye needed a friend…Alexis Davis just might do.

Alexis closed the door and walked back into the living room to retrieve her husband. She was so ready to start this vacation and get away from this world for a little while. She walked into the living room unnoticed by everyone, who were having a heated discussion on what to do about Tracy. Before anyone noticed, Alexis walked out again and went up the stairs. She looked in two empty rooms until she found Tracy's. She peeked in, knocked, and entered. Tracy was laying on the bed under three blankets. There were balled up Kleenex's surrounding the bed and on the floor. Tracy looked up to see who was bothering her now and was very surprised to see Alexis Davis.

"Hi," Alexis greeted her, walking over to the bed.

"Hi."

"So, you're all they are talking about."

"Hmm. That figures. They don't notice me unless someone close to me dies."

"You loved him?"

"Yes."

Alexis smiled, "He loved you, too."

Tracy smiled sadly, "You think?"

"I know Luke pretty well. You two had an odd relationship, but from what I saw at the….at the end there, yeah, he loved you."

"I never told him."

Alexis nodded sadly. She sat down on the edge of the bed as Tracy sat up.

"I liked what you said at the service. How can you walk around? Why aren't you in bed like me?"

"Well, you lost your mother a few years ago. You know what it's like, but for me, I lost my mother when I was eight, my sister, my brother, my best friend, I guess I'm just numb to it all now. Losing Nikolas was hard. He was my light, you know? He was the Cassadine to look up to. He had Spencer's for siblings and he wasn't the least bit crazy or dark. And Jax and Luke…they were special. That word describes them perfectly for me. Luke was goofy all the time. He was hardheaded and determined and fun. I can't believe that I'll never see him again. He was the only one that I'd want to hear the name Natasha from. Jax was my rock. After Ric, he was the only person who could get me through any crisis. When he 'fell' for Carly, he was still there for me. He was a true friend."

The two women sat and talked about their guys for a little while longer until Alexis heard a knock at the door. Ric peeked his head in and saw his wife and Tracy, "I'm sorry, honey, we're going to miss our plane."

"Plane?" Tracy questioned.

"Yeah, we're going on a much-needed vacation. I still have no clue where," Alexis explained, looking annoyed at Ric during the last sentence, "I don't like surprises."

Tracy smiled, "Thank you for this."

"Tracy, you need to get up. You need to move on."

"I just don't think…"

"Then don't think. It's hard, it's really hard, but you still have things here. Ned, Dillon, Edward, even Alice misses you."

Tracy laughed and looked up at Alexis, "I'll think about it."

"I'll be back in a week to check up on ya."

"Ha."

"Oh, Tracy?" Alexis turned as she exited the room, "Talk to Skye. You two could be there for each other, you know?"

Tracy just watched her leave.

Walking down the staircase hand in hand, Ric asked Alexis, "Are you sure you want to go? I mean, with everything going on …"

"I need a break. I need some 'Ric-time'." She smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they made it to the front door.

"I love you, Mr. Lansing."

"I love you more, Mrs. Lansing."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-three

"Okay. Yes Mom. Okay, I love you, too. Be careful."

Sam put the phone down on the couch and picked up the camera, "Smile!"

--

"So, John's asleep, Molly and Jason are playing with her toys on the floor. I told Sam to take a roll of film of that one. Jason on the floor. Ha!" She paused, "Lulu's babysitting Cameron. That girl wouldn't let me off the phone." She paused again, "Kristina and Morgan are taking naps…Michael is outside on the deck…talking to his…mother."

Ric took her hand as he listened to her ramble about the last hour she had spent on the phone in the plane, "And Sonny? What's Sonny doing?"

Alexis looked at Ric, "Okay, yes, I know, I'm overprotective."

"You can't call them every hour."

"Yes, I can."

"Baby …" Ric whined. He leaned over to her seat and kissed up her neck, "It's Ric time."

"It's not Ric time until the plane lands and we get to the hotel."

"You wanna bet? The bathroom on the plane is cramped, but it'll do."

"Hmm …" Alexis sighed as he playfully bit her ear.

"Give me two minutes," he said, got up, and walked down the aisle to the bathroom.

The plane wasn't packed, but there were plenty of people. Alexis checked her watch and followed him. He was waiting for her, fully dressed still. She closed the door, turned and smiled.

They said nothing. He attacked her as soon as he saw that smile. He pressed hard against her, her back to the door. His hands were everywhere. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. He picked her up and carried her over to the sink, never breaking their kiss. Her hands went to unbutton and unzip his pants and his did the same to hers. They stopped. Both just looking at each other and smiling. He went in for another kiss…this one slow and extremely sexy. Alexis moaned into his mouth and bit his lower lip as he pulled away.

"I love you so much, Alexis Davis."

Her smile grew, "Alexis Lansing."

That did it for him. They both were at it again. It didn't take long, and it wasn't as complicated as they thought, being such a small bathroom. Ric had to tell Alexis to stop being so loud a few times, and she had to tell him once. There was something about public places with them …

Zipping up her pants, she looked up at him. He was just staring at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Richard Lansing!"

"What?" He smiled and reached into his pocket and handed her a small black box, his face on hers the whole time.

"Ric?" She whispered.

"Open it."

She took it and opened it, her eyes not leaving his. She finally looked down and saw the most beautiful diamond ring that she'd ever seen. She looked back up at him again, the tears forming in her eyes.

"I though it was about time." He smiled.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I want people to know that you're my wife. That you have a husband that is so madly in love with you that it hurts." He placed the ring on her finger and took her into his arms. He nuzzled her neck for a moment and came up to whisper in her ear.

"Marry me again, Alexis."

"Again?"

"Yeah, a big, huge wedding … with everyone there. So everyone can see that we're for real."

"We've been for real for a while now."

"December '05."

She smiled up at him.

Ric smiled back, "I just … I want to have this wedding. Me and you. Announcing to everyone, our friends, our family, our nine children …"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"And you'll be Alexis Lansing?"

"Yes."

Ric had never been so happy. He grabbed her and sat her down on the sink again, not ready to leave.

"Ric, again?"

"What else do we have to do?"

She smiled down at him and took his face in her hands, "I can't believe you proposed to me in the bathroom of an airplane."

"I can't believe you said 'yes' to a man who proposed to you in the bathroom of an airplane." He kissed her.

"Well, I didn't have any better offers …" they stopped talking. They stayed in the bathroom until the pilot of the plane announced their descent.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

Alexis rolled off of Ric to her side of the bed, exhausted.

"Oh my God, oh my God …." was all Ric could say. Alexis looked over at him smiling, breathing heavily.

"Ric," she breathed, "Six hours … come one, I need to sleep, I need to eat, I need a shower, look at me … I'm all sticky, sweaty, hot …"

"God, your so hot." He smiled, leaning over to kiss up her neck, playfully getting her back into the mood.

Alexis smiled and enjoyed him for a few more moments until her stomach growled.

"Ric, your child is hungry." She looked at him seriously.

"Well, then, let's go." He stopped kissing her neck and stood up immediately. Alexis loved that their children always came first. She smiled as she watched his naked form stroll over to the bathroom and start the shower.

Alexis was sore, but a good sore … a very good sore. Before she joined Ric in the shower, she dialed home.

"Davis, Lansing, Corinthos, Cassadine, Spencer house," Sam greeted, laughing, knowing it was her mother calling.

Alexis laughed on the other end, "Hey!"

"Hey! We miss you, here's Molly …"

"Oh! Okay …" she heard Molly cooing and babbling into the phone and she spoke back, saying her I love you's and Daddy love's you … etc.  
Once Sam was back on the phone, she could detect something was wrong.

"Sam, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm … I'm okay."

"Um … no your not … what's wrong."

"We'll talk when you get back, don't worry about it. Where'd he take you?"

"Italy, and no, we'll talk right now! What's going on?"

"Okay, calm down, it's not a big deal … it's just … well, I broke up with Jason and I met my father today."

Alexis couldn't speak … at both things, she was shocked.

--

Four hours earlier … Port Charles …

"She asleep?" Sam asked Jason, who was putting down Molly for her nap while she was checking on John. Jason played with John enough, but he paid extra attention to Molly. There was just something about her … reminding him of Alexis, he assumed.

"Yep. I can't believe how much that child looks like Alexis!"

"I know! I don't see Ric at all, well, maybe the hair."

"That's just because it's short."

Sam smiled, "Do I look like her? My mom, I mean?"

"I never noticed it before we found out, but I think so … your eyes especially."

Sam smiled proudly and took his hand as the walked to the living room. They had finally gotten John and Molly on pretty much the same sleeping and eating schedules, and they sent Viola and Colleen away for a few days to take a break. Sam called Sonny's to check on the others and they were all fine.

"It's so weird that everything's normal."

"What do you mean?" Jason questioned, snuggling with her on the couch.

"Well, it's just, I'm happy, Alexis is happy, Sonny is happy, you're happy, everyone's happy …"

"Except Carly …"

Sam leaned back to look at him, "Jason, she brought that on herself, I know the kidnapping scared her, and we yelled at her a few times to be quiet, but she didn't see her children for what? Two weeks after? She's selfish, Jason, and I know you love her and all, but she only thinks of herself, and that would be fine, if she didn't have a family …"

"She loves her kids."

"Yeah, but she doesn't show them … I don't know, Jason, I don't want to talk about Carly," Sam said, tired of having this woman in her life.

"Well …" Jason tensed and stood up, "There is something I've been meaning to tell you all day …"

"What?" she smiled and walked over to him.

"It's serious … I don't think your mother will like it."

Her smile faded and she sat back down, swallowing, "What?"

"The head of the Escobar family contacted me … they're having trouble and they … they're giving me back the business for a while."

Sam's eyes were wide and her face showed only hurt, "And you didn't think to discuss this with me?"

"I … I had to make a decision … Sonny's not well enough to take it …"

"Even if he was … he wouldn't!" she snapped, getting angrier. "He knows how Alexis feels … things are going good! HE wouldn't want to mess this up!!"

"Sam, look …"

"No! Jason, you didn't even talk to me …"

"You were going to talk me out of it!"

"Damn right I was! Jason, if you get back in, we can't be together!"

It was Jason's turn to look hurt.

"What!! Why?!"

Sam looked at him like he was crazy, "You should know! I …"

"Because of Alexis?"

"Yes! Because of my MOTHER, and my sisters, and Michael, Morgan, Lulu … things were getting normal Jason!!"

"Since when did you care about what other people think?"

Sam couldn't speak. How could he ask that?!

"I didn't mean 'care' … since when did you start thinking about pleasing others? When did you start thinking about what they thought?"

"I'm thinking about when I was shot! When I was kidnapped, when other people were kidnapped WITH me!"

Jason sat down, he didn't know what to say.

"Jason, you do this, we're over," Sam said, staring at him angrily.

He just looked at her. He honestly was sick of the construction job … when the Escobar's called, he happily accepted the offer …

"It's only going to be for a while."

Sam nodded, looking away, "Get out."

Jason shook his head … not wanting to accept what he just heard.

"Get out!" She screamed and walked back to Molly and John's room.

Jason sat there for a few moment, and left.

Thirty minutes later, Sam walked back to the living room, hoping he was gone … hoping he was there, and when she saw he wasn't, she sunk down on the couch with her tears … alone. He left. He chose. She was angry, sad, confused … then, she heard the knock. After composing herself, she walked over to the door and stared into familiar eyes … that she'd never seen this close before.

"Hi … Sam," Robert said, scared.

"Hi. Um …?"

"I'm Robert, Robert Scorpio … Robin's dad."

"Robert," Sam said, as if trying to piece it together.

He stood there and watched her … nodding when it looked like she figured it out.

"Oh my God."

--

"Oh my God," Alexis exclaimed after hearing the story of her daughter's break up and first seeing her father.

"Yeah."

"You met your father?" Alexis said, trying not to believe it. She had wanted to be there. She had wanted to tell Sam who he was before she met him.

"Yeah. He … um … he just left, when Molly woke up."

"Did you two talk?"

"Yeah … he um … he pretty much just told me everything … the same thing you said … Mom …"

"I know. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm still in shock. You knew?"

"He was at the P.C.P.D. with Robin when you were missing. I saw him, we spoke, but … not at length … we didn't say anything about you … I guess he just pieced it together. At the memorial, we shared a look, and I think he got it … you are his."

"I'm yours, Mom. If you don't want me to talk to him, I won't …"

"No! I want you to know him! He's a wonderful man! Well, I'm sure he is still. I want you to know him …"

"Because you know, I'm happy just me and you."

Alexis smiled, she loved this girl, "Me too, Sam, but, you should get to know him. Maybe you should call Robin, you know, talk to her about it too. You're her sister …"

"Another sister." Sam smiled.

"Yep, you have a huge family now, baby. Oh, and hey, the thing about Jason … he loves you …"

"Mom, don't defend him. He chose the business over me …"

"I don't think …"

"He did. It's over."

"You love him."

"Yeah, but I love my family more. I love you more."

Alexis wiped the tears away, "I'm so sorry."

Sam just sat there, listening to her mother breathe, "It's okay, look, John's crying, I need to get going."

"Okay, Sam, I love you … so very much. Do you want us to come home?"

"No! No!" She smiled, "I've got everything under control, you two have fun. I love you, too."

Alexis hung up the phone and stared at the wall across from her. When Ric walked in after his shower, she noticed the disappointment on his face.

"You didn't join me."

Alexis smiled sadly up at him. She would tell him later … right now, looking at him … she was hungry, and not for food, "Well, Mr. Lansing, I knew that you needed two showers." She stood up and walked to him sexily wrapped up in her sheet …

She didn't touch him, just walked past him into the bathroom, looking back at him …

"You comin'?" She smiled.

Ric smiled and chased her into the shower.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-five

Four days and three nights had passed, and Alexis was ready to go home. She adored her husband, but missed her babies … all nine of them. She talked to them often, but she was ready to get them all back in her house … with her.

Ric was ready to get home, too, but he hadn't spent enough time with her.

"I'm so excited about going back!"

"Yeah … me too." He lied.

"Liar." She smiled.

He smiled up at her. She was sprawled out on top of him, her hair draped around his face.

"I'm just not done with you," he explained.

"Well, you better not be done with me ever … even when we get back!" She pretended to look hurt.

"No, baby, that's not what I meant …"

"I know … alone time. I know."

He smiled and kissed her sweetly, "Let's go eat."

"K!" She was so happy. She loved Italy. This definitely wasn't a sight seeing trip, being as that they stayed in the hotel room most of the day an night, ordering room service for breakfast and lunch and only leaving for an hour or two to eat at a nice restaurant for supper.

They changed and as she was applying her makeup in the bathroom, Ric walked around and wrapped his arms around her, settling his hands on her stomach, "Six more months," he said, smiling.

She smiled back at him, "He's healthy, Ric. Everything's going to be fine with this one."

Ric smiled at her in the mirror …"A son." They found out when they were back in Port Charles that it was definitely a little boy. Of course they would've been happy with a girl, but Alexis knew that Ric secretly wanted a boy. He thought it was another girl, but he was hoping for a boy.

"What are we going to name him?"

Ric shook his head and kissed his way up her neck, "No clue. You?"

She smiled, "I don't know…Nikolas, Jax, Luke?" She smiled sadly.

Ric nodded, "I was thinking something along those lines."

She smiled again. She missed them. Not one day passed since she found out that she didn't cry for them.

"I'm ready … let's go," she said, changing the subject quickly.

--

Viola and Colleen were back, so Sam could leave the house and not worry about anything. She had called Robin, talked for hours about their father, and then dialed Robert's cell. He asked her to dinner and she accepted, growing nervous.

She stood in front of the mirror. She couldn't believe that she had a mother, a father, three sisters, and a brother on the way. She thought of Danny. He would've fit it to this family perfectly. They would have loved him and he would've felt the same. Sam closed her eyes and thought of him for a moment. She knew he was happy for her, but she missed him terribly.

Walking into Kelly's she grew even more nervous … especially when she saw him stand up to greet her. She walked over and politely smiled at him, taking her seat.

He sat … she smiled.

"So, you're my father."

He smiled.

--

At the restaurant, after they ordered, Ric could see no one but Alexis. She however, saw her father, walking towards them.

"Oh no," she said, growing nervous.

"What?" Ric said, not noticing the man walking up to them until he stood at their table, looking down at Alexis.

Alexis breathed, still shocked to see him.

"Natasha."

Alexis looked from Mikkos to Ric. Ric was confused. She inhaled, "Ric … um … I'd … I'd like you to meet my father … Mikkos Cassadine."

Ric's eyes widened. He looked up at the man and then down at Alexis. Everything fell into place. This is who took her. He greeted the man nice enough and asked him to join them, but every time he looked in this man's face, he grew angrier. Alexis could tell. She knew Ric wanted to get out of here … wanted to get her away from him.

The three chatted, not once mentioning that Mikkos kept Alexis and Sam away from their family for two weeks. Ric thought back and remembered that this man helped them get away from Manny, so he couldn't be all that bad, still, something felt off, and Ric didn't like it.

"Ric, I was hoping to spend some time with Natasha before you two left Italy. Do you mind if, after dinner, she joins me for a walk?"

Ric wanted to say no. He wanted to yell at him, "Like HELL you're going to spend 'alone time' with this woman!!' then, Ric looked over at Alexis, who was looking at him for what? Permission? Acceptance? Ric smiled.

"Whatever she wants … that's fine."

Alexis smiled at her husband. She didn't want to leave Ric, but she was drawn to her father. She wanted a relationship with him. She wanted her girls and her son to know him … grow up loving him. Ric knew this, too.

After the bill was paid and they walked out, Mikkos walked ahead of the couple to let them say goodbye. He was nervous. He was excited. He couldn't wait to show Alexis what he had for her.

--

Halfway through lunch, Sam had to ask … even though she knew the answer, she wanted to hear it from his mouth, "You loved her?"

Robert looked up at his new-found daughter, "Very much."

Sam smiled slightly and continued eating.

"We were young. Very young, did Alexis tell you?"

"Yes, she told me everything, up until Helena took her that day. After that, she didn't know what happened to you."

"Helena took her." He stated. It wasn't really a question … he just finally understood.

"Yeah. What did you think happened?"

"At first … I had no idea. We were happy. She wouldn't have left me. I called around, no one had seen her. That night, I went out looking, and well, I got knocked unconscious by someone and woke up in some dirty cell. I didn't know who they were, but they told me that Alexis was gone. I couldn't look for her, or they'd kill her. They let me go … and … I did look for her for a while, but they followed me. After they threatened me a few times after that … I had …" he was getting upset, "I had to let her go. I was seventeen, Sam. I was scared, but I knew she was alive."

Sam nodded, tears in her eyes. If he had found her before … things would have been different.

"Are you angry at me?"

"No. No, I just, I hate Helena. Why would she do this? Why would she continue making my mother's life miserable? She says that she doesn't care about her, then why did she do all of this?"

Little did Sam know that Alexis was about to find out …


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mikkos wrapped his left arm around Alexis' shoulders as they walked. Alexis was cold, and her father's arm gave her warmth.

"Come to Port Charles. Come meet your grandchildren," Alexis begged him.

Mikkos looked down and decided that it was time to tell her.

"I can't."

Alexis looked up at him and stopped walking.

"Why? We want you there."

"I have to stay in Greece, and … Ale… Natasha, you have to stay with me."

She backed up, "No!"

"Nata…"

"My name is ALEXIS! Stop calling me Natasha! I'm not staying with you, I thought we've been through this!"

"You don't … have a choice, Alexis."

Alexis looked at him frightened, "Like hell I don't."

"Come with me."

"Where? No! I'm going back to Ric."

"Alexis, I won't take you against your will. I have to show you something."

Alexis looked back towards where her hotel was and then back at her father. Against her better judgment, she went along with him. They got into a limo that was parked not far from where they were and he took her to an old abandoned building. She hesitated before walking in, but somehow his words about not taking her without her consent calmed her.

"Through here …" Mikkos motioned and Alexis walked into a dark room … then, she saw them. Through a glass window, she saw Jax, Nikolas, and Luke sitting there in a cell. They looked tired, but healthy, and definitely alive.

Alexis gasped. She couldn't speak. Suddenly, tears formed in her eyes and she smiled. She brought her hands up to her mouth and turned to look at her father for an explanation. She couldn't ask him, but he knew.

"We had them followed from Port Charles when they came to look for you. When the plane was going down, some of our men took them and saved their lives."

Alexis' face became white … she was horrified. "Did you cause the plane to …"

"No. We lost three of our men. We didn't cause it. Alexis, look at them, they're alive."

She turned her head back to her men and smiled. Then, after a moment of just staring at them, she figured it out. They were bait … for her.

"No … no Mikkos, don't tell me …"

"You have a big decision to make Alexis … Natasha."

Alexis shook her head, "No," she cried.

--

Sam was depressed, but the five younger children made her feel much better. Michael, Kristina, and Morgan were swimming with Leticia and Viola in the lake, while Sam and Colleen watched close by, holding John and Molly.

"So, you didn't know your grandmother?" Colleen asked Sam.

"I met her … met, ha! I ran in to her once or twice before she kidnapped me. She was … is … a horrible person."

Colleen nodded, tending to John.

"Nikolas hated her. My mother did, too, did you know that she killed my grandmother?" Sam asked.

"I heard. That's terrible."

"My mother was eight. Eight years old … and she saw it all. I can't imagine …"

"Cause Helena hired me," Colleen spit out.

Sam grew deathly quiet as she stared at the woman next to her.

"S-Say that again."

"Helena … when she found out about John, she hired me to convince Nikolas to hire me. She was planning on taking John. She needed an informant."

Sam continued to stare, seeing and understanding the words coming out of Colleen's mouth, but not wanting to believe them.

"You can't be serious!?" Sam yelled, noticing all too late how loud it was. The sleeping Molly jolted awake in her arms and started whimpering. John looked over at her as if he understood what was going on. Viola, Leticia, and the kids even looked over.

Sam smiled and laughed, cuddling Molly back to sleep. She looked to Colleen. "Let's go … inside … NOW!" She whispered harshly.

--

"I'll send them home, they won't know anything …"

"What do they think is going on?" Alexis asked, not able to pull her eyes off of them. They were alive. That phrase kept running through her head.

"They were told nothing … nothing about me, or you … they think that they were rescued and put in prison. We made up charges … and gave them no phone calls …"

Alexis looked through the glass. It was a one-way mirror, so they couldn't see her.

"Can I see them? Talk to them?"

"No."

Alexis breathed out in frustration, "What do you want … so that they can go home?"

"Just you … and your child."

Alexis looked at her father, then back at the men and wiped the tears that were streaming down her face. Mikkos stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"DON'T touch me!" She hissed, "How dare you! How can you do this!? What …"

"Natasha, calm down."

"NO! You're ruining my life! You know I can't say 'no' to this! I will always HATE YOU!" She screamed and looked back over at the men, hoping that somehow they could hear her, not expecting them to though. That would've been too easy.

"Listen, I had no choice. I have to have an heir, or they'll kill me."

"Who?" She questioned angrily.

"It doesn't matter. You will never have to worry about them."

"But my son will … one day, if he doesn't have an heir, they'll kill him."

"No … they will not," Mikkos replied calmly. "This is it. He is it."

Alexis looked up at him through her tears, "Do you not know how difficult this is? Do you know how horrible you're making my life? My girls' lives? I just found Sam … you KNOW THAT! Kristina is five, Molly is almost a year old, and they're going to lose me?"

"Yes."

"YES!? That's all you can say!?"

Mikkos looked away. He expected this to be hard, but she looked so … broken.

"What about Nikolas and John? If he knew the situation, he'd gladly take my place."

"John is not a Cassadine."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Alexis sat back in the cold chair alone. Mikkos left for a while, giving her time to think. Helena switched the results of each and every one of John's paternity tests…all but one. The one that named Jax as the father. John was Jax's son…this would break Nikolas' heart. At least his heart was still beating. She looked at each man in the room before her. She placed her hand on her stomach, feeling her son. Their lives for these three men to return home. Alexis knew that Luke, Jax, and Nikolas would never agree to this, but they didn't have a choice. It all ended with her. She was sick of this. Sick of making decisions. Sick of being stuck in the middle of these circumstances that left people hurt. She looked at Jax. John was his son…Jane was his mother…Jerry was his brother…Carly was his fiancé. Four people who so desperately wanted him back. She then turned her attention to Luke. She thought of Lucky, Liz, Tracy, Skye, Luke's unborn baby, and finally Lulu. Lulu would get her father back…she would return to being the happy teenager she once was before. She finally looked over to her nephew…her son. She loved him so much, she knew she had to do this. She had to do this for everyone in Port Charles. Sacrificing herself and her child for all of them. Her family. It had to be done.

Mikkos returned. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she didn't shrug it away. She instead placed her hand over his, "I don't want to remember them. Any of them…Ric, Nikolas, Sonny, Sam, K…Kris…Kristina or Molly. I won't do this unless you make me forget them."

"That can be done. I assumed you would want that. We can erase your memory as far back as you want."

She nodded, tears falling, "Let them go."

Mikkos nodded and dialed his cell phone, gave the orders, and they watched the three men be led out of the room.

"Alexis…"

"Natasha. That's my name." She stood up to face her father. Her face hard, cold, broken, "My last memory will be of my mother, the night before Helena murdered her. You will tell me that I was in a car accident, my memory is gone. I will remember her and my baby sister only. I was eight. You will tell me that my mother died two years ago, safe, loved, and happy. You will tell me that Kristina…she left when she was eighteen and no one has seen her since. That way I'll at least think that she's alive. I will not know you, Stefan, Stavros, or Helena…but you will tell me the truth. I'm your daughter…Natasha."

Mikkos watched her and his heart broke. She was strong. She was ready.

--

Sam put Molly in her crib as Colleen put down John. She grabbed Colleen by the arm and led her into the living room.

"I want you out. NOW!"

"I haven't spoken to Helena since the kidnapping!"

"I don't care. You are a threat to my cousin, my sisters, my mother, and NO ONE threatens my mother!!" Sam was furious. She should have seen it. She should have been more observant, but so many things were going on, so much had happened since she returned to Port Charles…she didn't see it.

"Please, Sam, give me a second chance! Please!"

"I broke up with the love of my life for the safety of this family. You actually think that I'm going to let one of Helena's former employees get close to us? Get…out…now." Sam wasn't playing around.

Colleen looked down and did as she was told.

"Never come back. You tell Helena it's over. She's in prison, and we're here, happy, and she'll never touch us again." Sam watched Colleen leave and Skye walk up.

"Hey Sam, is Ale…your mother here?" Skye didn't know Sam, but she was aware that she was Alexis' daughter. It was just too weird to even think about…these two women who fought and yelled and screamed at each other were not mother and daughter, happy and together.

"Hi, no, she's still in Italy with Ric. They needed a break from everything. Can I help you with anything?"

"Um…no, I just, I wanted to thank her for the conversation we had the other day. She um…she gave me strength, and it was, very kind of her to care. Just, tell her for me that Lorenzo left town…he's not a threat anymore. Tell her that I told him everything and…everything's okay now…because of her."

Sam smiled. She had no clue as to what Skye was talking about, but she nodded, "I'll tell her. My mother surprises me every day."

"Me too." Skye smiled politely and walked out. She was finally moving on. She could raise this child alone. She did have Alexis if she needed anyone.

--

Ric was sitting on the bed looking at his watch when he heard the hotel door open. It had been three hours. He couldn't believe that her father was alive…and she went with him willingly. In the back of his mind, he was afraid that he'd never see her again, but his entire heart told him otherwise. She wouldn't leave him again. Their love was forever.

Alexis walked into the bedroom of the hotel suite…she saw her husband sitting on the bed, waiting for her. She didn't speak, she couldn't. She walked slowly up to him, sat on his lap, and kissed him. The kiss was slow. She wanted to show him how much she had missed him, how much she would miss him. Mikkos said that she could return to Port Charles…she had three weeks before she would 'die'. It would be her heart. She would complain about pains and Ric would bring her to the hospital. The new 'heart surgeon', on Mikkos' payroll, would give her the diagnosis. He would tell her that she would have less than two months to live, but she would die the next day…in the hospital, surrounded by her family. They wouldn't be able to save the baby…she was only three months pregnant…Ric would be devastated, Sam would be angry, but strong, Kristina wouldn't understand, Molly wouldn't remember…but Jax, Luke, and Nikolas would be home. This had to be done.

"Well, you're happy to see me." Ric smiled at his beautiful wife.

"I thought you'd be asleep."

"Without you, I can't sleep."

"We should work on that." She smiled, "What if I'm up late working and you need to sleep?"

"You quit your job…all you have to do now is eat for two and sleep with me."

"Mmm, sleep with you…or eat…what to do, what to do?" She picked at him, pushing him down onto the bed. She loved this man with all of her heart. She couldn't imagine living without him. He was her strength, he was her heart, that's why she had to forget. She couldn't remember this love, otherwise, it would kill her.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Luke, Jax, and Nikolas returned a day before Alexis and Ric arrived home. Lulu called Alexis first, screaming into the phone. Alexis cried tears of joy for this girl she so lovingly called her adopted daughter. Everything was fine now. Everyone would be fine.

--

Alexis ran into Nikolas' arms at the Lake house. She was grateful to Mikkos' for saving his life, but angry at him for ripping Nikolas and her family away from her. She couldn't think about that…she needed to live every day and enjoy every second until she had to leave. Molly was the hardest to say goodbye to because she was the only one she could say goodbye to. Alexis rocked her for two hours the night before Ric was to bring her to the hospital. She made sure that the door was shut and locked.

"My sweet girl. My baby. I love you so much. So much, darlin' that it hurts," she whispered to the baby who was looking up at her mother, wide-awake. It was as if Molly knew that this was the last time. She was fighting sleep worse than normal.

"You're daddy and big sisters will tell you all about me. They'll tell you that you were my itty bitty. You were my heart, too, baby…" she cried. She picked Molly up and held her close to her heart, "As long as our hearts beat…as long as there is time, baby, I will love you." She couldn't speak anymore, she just stared into her daughter's eyes as she drifted off to sleep, one hand wrapped around two of Alexis' fingers and the other wrapped in Alexis' hair.

Walking out of Molly's room, Alexis put her hand on her heart. She hated her father in that moment. She hated him and almost changed her mind, but then Nikolas and Jax walked up with John asleep in Jax's arms. This had to be done. That was the phrase that kept echoing in Alexis' mind. This had to be done.

After saying goodnight to Jax, Luke, Lulu, Lucky, and all the others, Alexis snuggled up with Ric, Kristina, Michael, Morgan, and Sam on the couch. Morgan and Kristina fought at first as to who would sit on Alexis' lap and she managed to hold them both, kissing the tops of their heads. Sam put in a movie and the family watched it until they all fell asleep…all except Alexis. She first looked to Ric. His head on her shoulder, looking peaceful and happy. Sam was on the other side of her snuggling with Michael. She and Sam had known that they would never be apart again, and it broke Alexis' heart to leave her. Sam would know what to do. She would be strong. She would be the mother figure to Molly and Kristina and she would keep Ric sane. Alexis reached over and ran her hand through her first born daughter's hair. Robert would keep her sane.

Morgan was almost falling off of Alexis' lap, so she laid him next to Michael. He was the spitting image of Sonny. She would miss him, and his father. She knew that Sonny would rally around his children and give them love and strength. She stood up with Kristina in her arms, careful not to wake her or the others and brought her outside onto the deck.

"Mommy?" Kristina whimpered as they sat.

"Hey my beauty, go back to sleep, I just wanted to sit outside with you."

"Okay, I love you Mommy…" she trailed off before she fell back to sleep.

Alexis caught the sob before it left her body. She cried silently for hours, looking at her daughter, the one who saved her.

Sam walked out onto the deck with Molly in her arms. It was almost time for the sun to rise and she had woken Ric, brought Morgan and Michael to bed, and checked on Molly, who was wide awake. She sat next to Alexis on the chair overlooking the lake and looked over at her mother.

"Are you okay?"

Alexis smiled sadly, "I'm fine. I'll be fine. As long as you're here…with the girls, I'll be fine."

Sam looked over at her mother as if to say she understood. Alexis knew she didn't, but she would, everything would be fine.

--

"She's going to have to stay overnight for a few nights," the doctor told Ric and Sam, "I'm so sorry."

Sam broke down and walked beside her mother. Two months. She only had two months with this woman who gave her life, and a reason to live it.

"I can't do this, Mom. I can't do this without you," Sam cried.

Ric sank to the floor in the hallway. Two months. The baby wouldn't make it. His world was crashing around him.

"You can, Sam. You're a survivor. You need to teach Kristina and Molly to be the same." Alexis couldn't control her grief. She didn't want to see her family like this, but they would be able to say goodbye to her, and she needed that.

--

Mikkos watched from Greece on the monitor in front of him. He needed to see this, Alexis' death. She wouldn't remember these people, but he would. He would watch them live without her. He would watch them closely, and make sure that they survived. He didn't want to do this to her, he hated himself for it, but he had to do this…he had to save his family's name. It was his duty…and hers…and her son's.

"Mr. Cassadine, he's here," Mikkos' guard announced, and he shut off the monitor for a moment, turning to greet his visitor.

"Mr. Cassadine…it's nice to meet you. I received your message, what can I do for you?"

"I have a proposal for you, Mr. Alcazar."

--

After many visitors, Skye, Luke, Lulu, Lucky and Liz, Jason, Sonny, Jax and even Carly, Tracy, Viola, Leticia, Alexis was tired. Drained of all of her tears. This is it. Today's the day. She made sure that everyone was there. Ric, Sam, Kristina, Molly, and Nikolas. The doctor came in to give her 'the' shot. Everyone else just thought it was routine, but Alexis knew better. This would erase her memory. It would slow her breathing enough…she would be gone from them. She caught the doctors' eye and noticed a look of sympathy. After injecting her, he nodded…amazed by this woman laying in front of him, and he left. Alexis began crying uncontrollably, holding Kristina and Molly, pulling Sam closer.

"I love you, my girls." The monitors beeped. Like crazy…Alexis' looked at Nikolas, then Ric for a long moment, he leaned in to kiss her gently, then she looked to her girls, and her eyes closed. It had to be done.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

She went to sleep that night, eight-years-old, feeling her mother's arms wrapped around her. She woke up that next morning, definitely not eight years old, and no one around. She was in a hospital, it was bright…she was scared. Natasha looked around the room…saw huge floral arrangements and cards. She looked down at her hands…they were not the hands of an eight year old. She ran her hands through her hair…it was shorter, lighter than the black hair she had the night before. Her breathing increased, heart was pumping wildly…she was scared.

"You're awake…Princess, welcome back," said an older nurse walking through the door.

"Princess? Um…wha…"

"I'll get the doctor…one moment…" and she was gone.

Natasha continued to look around the room and control her breathing…then she felt her stomach…it felt different…bigger than it should be…

"Hello Princess, I'm Dr. Makleau…do you know where you are?" Asked the attractive doctor as he pulled up a chair close to her bed.

Natasha shook her head no. She was afraid to speak. The sound of her voice when she spoke to the nurse before frightened her.

"Okay, do you know what year it is?"

She shook her head again, visibly upset.

"It's okay, your father will be in shortly."

"Father?"

He nodded, "Princess, you were in car accident…with your husband…he's okay, he's in the room next door…"

"Husband?"

"Yes, you both were in an accident…you two are very lucky to be alive. Everything's going to be okay. We'll take you down for a few tests and see where we'll go from there."

An older man walked in the room, dressed nicely, very clean cut.

"Sweetheart!" He exclaimed as he ran to Natasha's side. He embraced her and leaned back to notice the confused and frightened look on her face.

"Do you remember me?"

"No. No…I…I don't remember anything." She started crying.

The doctor spoke up, "Princess, what's the last thing that you do remember?"

Natasha looked around nervously, "Eight-years-old…what…" she was hyperventilating.

"It's okay, honey, it's okay. Come here," Mikkos assured her as he held her close, "everything's going to be okay."

--

It had been three days. To him, it felt like three years. He couldn't see Sam, Kristina, or Molly. He didn't want to. They looked too much like her.

_"Alexis isn't easy to get over. She isn't easy to live without, Ric, but you can't give up. Even if you get angry at her when she comes back and you've been married for ten years, you can't give up on her. She's stubborn, and crazy at times," Ned smiled, "But believe me, you'll miss her when she's gone. You know that now. It's very hard…to live without her in your life."_ Ric remembered that conversation with Ned not so long ago when Alexis was missing…he had her back, then lost her for good. He heard Ned's voice saying those words every time it was quiet, so he played music…constantly…he lay in his bed and slept to the sounds of…anything that was playing. He wept like a child for three days and he didn't care. He knew he couldn't do anything else.

Sonny walked in with Ric's lunch. He knew his brother would only eat a bite or two, but he had to make sure that he was at least given the food. Sonny spent the first day after Alexis' death destroying his house. He made sure that the kids weren't there, sent Max and Milo away, and destroyed everything. He lay on the couch for hours and replayed every moment with her. Every endless conversation, every smile, every argument, every kiss, that one night he'd give up everything to relive again, every threat that he'd made, and every fantasy he had of her during the beginning of their friendship to the end…he loved her until the end. The end. Those two words set him off. He went back to breaking what he'd forgotten to break.

That was two days ago, and now, he stayed at Ric's house and took care of him, Sam, Kristina, Molly, Michael, and Morgan. Viola needed a few days off. She was hit hard by Alexis' death. She loved her like a sister and needed to get away for a while. Leticia stuck in with Sonny, Jax came by a lot, along with Luke, Lulu, Lucky, Liz, Emily, Skye, Tracy, Robert, and of course, Nikolas.

Nikolas was strong. He hadn't cried, not even at the funeral. He just stared straight ahead and said nothing. Sam spoke, a wonderful eulogy of the woman that she had just begun to know, but loved. Nikolas was amazed at how much she really knew her mother. He knew that it was hard for Sam, but he couldn't speak…he didn't have the strength for that.

The girls took it the worst. Sam was strong for about a day, and then she broke down. She, just like her stepfather, stayed in her room, not wanting to deal with life. She thought of everything that Alexis taught her, and what she didn't get the chance to. Alexis knew Sam loved her, and that comforted her a little, but she was angry. Angry at everything.

Kristina understood…and she was angry as well. She helped her father fix supper, played with Molly, Michael, and Morgan, but she never smiled. She was only barely six, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to smile or laugh for a while.

Jax threw Carly out for the last time. They had tried to make it work when he got back, but she was Carly…and she insulted Alexis two days after she died, and Jax wanted to kill her. He probably would have if Sonny hadn't have called that second. The minute he hung up the phone, he told Carly that he was going over to Ric's and that she better be out of his apartment before he got back. He couldn't deal with her ever again. He drove over to Ric's and helped Sonny.

Jason walked in from his long walk on the pier to his apartment. It was completely destroyed. He figured living rooms all over town looked like this. Violence helps sooth the pain. When Robin called him that day and told him about Alexis, he went a little…mad. He loved Alexis, and he only had a few months to spend with her in peace. During Sam's kidnapping, and after they returned, he and Alexis reformed their friendship, and now it was gone. He went to the lake house a few times to help out with the kids, to hold Sam, to try to talk to Ric, but he couldn't stay very long. That was her house…and he couldn't be there…

Jason was right about the destruction of living rooms around town. The Quartermaine living room was no different. Ned was in the middle of wrecking it, when Skye demanded that he bring her to the hospital…it was time. After they left to have the baby, Lulu walked in to the living room and decided that things were still available to throw, break, and turn over, so she finished the job.

Skye gave birth to a baby girl on the day of Alexis' death. Luke was there and was happy, but still angry as hell. Luke named the little one Katelyn Natasha. Skye agreed. She was a beautiful baby, already with red hair. It was hard for Skye to find happiness, but she knew Alexis would have wanted her to be, so she was. Her child was here, and this child would know all about the woman whom she was named after.

Lulu walked into the lake house quietly. It was almost bedtime for the kids and she could hear them in the back rooms getting ready for bed. She knew the routines of this house and she loved it. This was the first place that she'd ever lived that even slightly resembled a home. This felt like home to her before, but now it was empty. She knew that Ric was in his room, Sam was in hers, and Sonny was helping Leticia put the kids down. They were in the boys' room, so Lulu went to check on Kristina. She didn't see her in her room, so she went to Molly's. Lulu pushed the door open only a few inches and listened to Kristina talking to Molly through the crib bars.

"Mommy hated you, Molly. She hated all of us, so don't feel bad." Kristina stopped for a moment…the tears falling down her tiny cheeks. Lulu wanted to interrupt, but she was shocked by the amount of anger coming out of this little girl. "She was a liar. She was a mean, bad liar. She told us that she wouldn't leave us, and the second she got a chance to, she did. She didn't love me…" Lulu had to stop this. Kristina was sobbing.

"Kristina!" Lulu said, not meaning to sound so stern, "Hey, come here." She walked in and wrapped her arms around the little girl, picking her up. She brought her outside on the deck to look out at the lake. Kristina held on tight to Lulu and listened.

"Your Mommy was out here, right here on this spot, with me, when I thought that my dad died." Kristina leaned back and looked at the teenager in front of her.

"She was so nice and beautiful huh?" Lulu asked and Kristina nodded. "I know you didn't mean the things that you said in there. I thought them too about my Mom and Dad, but they aren't true…you know that right?" Kristina nodded again through her tears.

Kristina lay down on the cushions with her head in Lulu's lap. Lulu did exactly as Alexis had done to her and ran her hand through Kristina's hair, speaking softly about the beauty and love that Alexis had given them. Kristina soon fell asleep and Lulu brought her to her bed, passing Sonny in the hall. Lulu watched after her for a while and sang to her as she slept. Kristina woke up with a jolt in the middle of a song.

"Hey, hey, it's okay…go back to sleep…" Lulu comforted her.

"I have to tell Molly! I have to tell her it wasn't true."

"I'll tell her baby…she knows…I'll tell her you were just mad…but listen, Kristina, as Molly grows up, you're gonna have to help remind her about your Momma. Okay? You have to tell her everything you can about how wonderful she was and how much she loved you two…okay?"

Kristina nodded and quickly fell back to sleep.

"I'll help you," Lulu whispered, and crawled in the bed to fall asleep with her new little 'sister'.

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

"Are you okay, Princess?" Asked Mikkos.

Natasha nodded. Her father had filled her in on her life…everything about her mother, sister, brothers, husband…husband… "Where is he?"

"He's in the next room. He doesn't remember much either. You both are pretty much in the same situation."

"Some couple we'll be…" Natasha laughed, "How was our…relationship?"

Mikkos smiled, happy to give this to his daughter at least, "You two have only been married for about two years, so you didn't fight much. There's a lot of love there, Natasha…but…I, and he, I'm sure, will understand if it will be too difficult for you to go to your home after this…"

"No…we have to. I mean, I'm pregnant…this baby…we need to be together, or at least try. I can't think that things can be that different…I mean, we're the same people who fell in love with each other once before, we just…have to do it again."

Mikkos nodded. He was frightened that his daughter wouldn't love the man he picked, but the fact that neither one remember their history…would help.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

"Ric?"

"Hmmm?"

"Baby, wake up…"

"Five more minutes…"

Alexis snuggled close into his body, as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her.

"Wake up…we only have thirty minutes before Molly and John wake up."

"Hmmm okay, okay, I'm up…"

Alexis smiled and felt him, "Yes you are…you happy to see me?"

Ric smiled back at her beautiful face, "Always." They continued with their morning ritual of amazing morning sex before the house of one thousand people woke up.

"Oh my God, baby I love you."

Alexis giggled and wrapped her arms back around her husband, "Ditto."

"So, what are we doing today?"

"Staying right here I hope."

"Me too, but I've got to go get Kristina, Michael, and Morgan some school clothes. Lulu and Sam are coming with me…probably to get some of their own. Sam needs some new skirts for work and Lulu's starting PCU in the fall."

"Why can't just Sam and Viola take them?"

"Because I want to go, you wanna come?"

"I do wanna 'come', but…"

"Ric!"

He smiled and kissed down her neck…and further…he stopped when he heard a little person's knock at the door. He covered them up quickly and looked to Alexis, "Who you bettin'?"

"Um…this morning, I bet it's Kristina…she's more excited about going shopping…Come in darlin'…whichever darlin' you are!!" Alexis sang to the door, and watched it creak open. Her beautiful kindergartener walked through the door.

"Mommy, is it time to go shopping yet?"

Alexis smiled, "Almost, let's eat first. Go wake up Sam, Lulu, and your brothers and tell them to get ready."

"Okay! Hey Daddy Ric! Bye!" Kristina said cheerfully as she bounced out the room, thankfully closing the door behind her.

They smiled at her and Ric started whimpering, "Stay in bed with me. You guys can go tomorrow."

Alexis sighed, "Stop, I'm going, I love you." She got up and strolled over to the dresser to put some clothes on, "Ric, I want to spend as much time with them as possible, you know, they grow up so fast. And with the way things are in Port Charles, they could be taken away from me any day by the gunshots that fly around. I could be gone, too, life is too short honey."

Ric nodded and just watched her get dressed, "Well, I'm staying in bed, waiting for you to get back."

"You do that." She leaned down and kissed him good-bye, "I love you."

"I love you." She was gone.

_"I could be gone, too, life is too short honey."_

Ric woke up sweating, the tears streaming down his cheeks. That was a few days before she died. It was as if she knew…

--

Sam walked through the house. It was three o'clock in the morning, so everyone was asleep. This was the first time she'd left her room in days, and it looked normal. It looked like Alexis still lived there because it was spotless, and peaceful. Sonny was doing a good job cleaning up and taking care of them. She had to remember to thank him a few million times. She looked out on the deck and saw Nikolas leaning on the railing, looking out at the water.

"Nikolas?"

"Hey."

"It's three o'clock in the morning, what are you doing here?"

"I have a business trip tomorrow, John's staying here for a few nights."

"Oh, yeah, Colleen's not with you anymore. With everything that's happened, I forgot."

"Yeah, thanks for firing her for me. I can't believe I was stupid enough to see through my grandmother's attempts to steal my child."

"It's okay. Does Helena know about Alexis?"

"I went to see her, to basically warn her to stay the hell away from all of us, well, to keep her people away from us, and when I told her about Alexis, she laughed."

"Laughed?"

Nikolas nodded, "I had to leave. I couldn't…I couldn't take that."

Sam draped her arm around Nikolas' waist and leaned on his shoulder. He closed his eyes. For a moment, she felt like Alexis.

"I miss her so much," Nikolas sobbed, and turned to be embraced fully by Sam.

Tears started streaming down her face, "Me, too."

--

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Mikkos asked.

"He's my husband, and the father of my child. I think it'd be nice to meet him," Natasha joked, wheeling the wheelchair out of her room and into the hallway at the hospital. Mikkos' cell phone rang.

"Okay, you're okay doing this alone? I have to take this."

"I'm fine, thank you." She still felt awkward around this man, but he seemed to love her.

Mikkos smiled and walked away, answering the cell, "Hello?"

"Mikkos, hi, it's Sam, your granddaughter."

"Hi Sam, my granddaughter, how are you?"

"Alexis is dead," she said bluntly, and Mikkos heart skipped a beat. He had forgotten that Sam would probably call to tell him.

"What did you say?" He had to act shocked, upset, angry, while looking down the hall and this girl's mother wheeling herself into her 'husbands' hospital room.

"Alexis died four days ago…um…her heart…" she couldn't finish.

"No….no…Sam…"

She was crying on the other line. He wasn't sure what to do…he couldn't go to Port Charles, only Sam, Ric Lansing, and Jason Morgan knew that he existed. He couldn't see Nikolas.

"Do you need me to come…"

"No, no, I'm fine…I know you don't want anyone to know you're…alive…but, I just…I just wanted to tell you."

"Oh Sam, my goodness, I'm so sorry, I can't…." he had to fake cry…fake being upset, he hated this.

"I have to go, I'm sorry, I…just…call me if you need to…um…I can't talk…"

"Okay, okay, call me if you ever need anything, Samantha."

She nodded as if he could see her through the phone and hung it up, collapsing on the couch. Mikkos sat down in the waiting room and ran his hands over his face. This had to be done.

--

She was frightened to see him. She had no idea what he looked like. 'Looks' didn't matter to her, but she hoped that she'd be a little attracted to him…and she was…plenty. She wheeled the chair into the room next door to hers.

"Hi."

Natasha smiled, "Hi."

"You're gorgeous."

She blushed and looked down, "Um…thanks?"

"I'm sorry, I can't believe I said that out loud."

"That's okay, thank you. Um…I guess we should introduce ourselves formally. I'm Natasha."

He smiled, "Hello Natasha, I'm Lorenzo."


End file.
